


we fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once.

by lu_woo



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Angst, Friendship/Love, Love Triangles, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-07
Updated: 2018-11-20
Packaged: 2019-08-20 01:45:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 34,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16546445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lu_woo/pseuds/lu_woo
Summary: Falling in love once was hard. Falling two more times was even harder.Especially when one is his best friend and the other is someone who came into his life just as quickly as he fell in love.





	1. { ☾ }

**Author's Note:**

> { this is my very first NCT story + my first story in a long time }  
> { please excuse any major characterization flaws ;a; }  
> { this work is also 30k+ so i've decided to break it in to chapters for easier reading but it's best if you read it all at once!! }  
> { sountrack = [☺ ](https://8tracks.com/lehunn/we-fell-in-love-the-way-you-fall-asleep-slowly-then-all-at-once) }  
>  

 

There’s something about the bright sun that beams through the broken shades. It lets way too much light in, large gaps unable to stop the brightness of the morning sun. But it’s not a bad something. It’s a warm and inviting something. Being able to feel the first hugs of heat from the sun in the morning. The boy lying in the bed is almost thankful that he gets to see it so often, almost thankful. The shades gently bump against the windows due to slight cracks at the bottom of each. The cracks allow the sounds of car horns and the chatter of birds echo throughout the quiet room. 

Jungwoo knows he should get up. He knows he only has a few minutes before it’s inevitable that he’ll be late. But he just can’t gather the strength to get up. His eyes only closed a few hours ago. Four hours to be exact. And now he has to be at work in less than an hour, again. It wouldn’t be so bad if he didn’t just have a twelve hour shift. It wouldn’t be so bad if he didn’t have a twelve hour shift for the last week and a half. He’s only gotten a handful of hours of sleep each night and it’s barely enough to keep him going at this point. 

His phone buzzes under his pillow. He doesn’t even bother looking to see who it is. His fingers slide it out from under his head, holding it gently to his ear. 

“Jungwoo speaking.” 

“You don’t have to answer it like that, you know.” 

Jungwoo sighs at the sound of Ten’s voice on the other side. “Sorry, I didn’t even look.” 

He can hear the other laugh softly before clicking his tongue, “Come on, Jungwoo. I know this week has been tough but I didn’t think you’d be this bad. You’ve done worse before.”

“I know, I just-” Jungwoo frowns, lips pursing into a small pout. 

“I know it’s been tough, with the other stuff.” Ten says quietly, “But just remember, you’re everyone’s favorite in our group. Let that motivate you.” The words make Jungwoo smile slightly, barely curling his lips up but enough to rid his frown. “Anyways, I called to see if you wanted any coffee. It’s my day to buy.” 

Jungwoo pushes himself up, feet sliding off the bed to rest on the floor. He yawns as he stretches his legs out. “Mm, yeah I’ll just take my usual mocha please, an extra shot of espresso if you can.”

“You got it,” Ten says confidently, “I’ll see you soon.” 

The phone is tossed on the bed as Jungwoo stands up. His fingers rustle his hair before patting it down gently. His toes curl against the floor as he walks towards the bathroom. His eyes squint when he looks at himself in the mirror. Normally bright, cheerful eyes are tired and sad. There’s dark circles forming under them and Jungwoo pushes his fingers against them, sighing softly. Soft skin is becoming dry and he even spots a few pimples along his forehead. Even his hair is dull and flat, no matter how much he fluffs it up. 

Jungwoo has always been prideful of his appearance at work. Despite long hours and endless amount of patients he has to tend to, he always maintains a cheerful and lively look. Yet this week has completely drained him of his happy self. Even his coworkers have pulled him aside and ask him if he’s okay. 

To be honest, he isn’t. Life really fucking sucks right now, if he’s being real. His boyfriend of five years dumped him. Dumped him after Jungwoo found him cheating on him. Literally found him with a girl and watched them kiss for several minutes. Jungwoo tried to talk it out with him. He’s always been a forgiving person. Especially to the love of his life. But his boyfriend took the opportunity of being caught to break the news that he’s been cheating on him for almost a year. ‘You’re just not around like you used to be, I’m sorry.’ That was it and in a matter of hours, his boyfriend’s things were nowhere to be found in his apartment. He came quickly and left quickly. Leaving Jungwoo absolutely heart broken. 

He’s been trying to keep it together, he really has. It’d be easier if he didn’t have to talk to people all day. If he didn’t have to concentrate for so long every day. If he could just have one day off. One day to sit and cry about it. Really cry, not a few tears in the bathroom at work. He needed a day to process things. Take a day and work through his emotions. It’s hard enough to deal with a heartbreak as it is, but having to work seventy plus hours in a hospital on top of it makes Jungwoo feel like he’s about to burst. 

Shaky fingers gently blend the foundation on his skin as he sniffles. He’s not sure if he’s crying out of frustration or out of sadness at this point. But spontaneous crying doesn’t even phase him anymore. He quickly wipes away the tears with the back of his hand, not wanting them to ruin his foundation. He rubs on a small amount of pink shimmer eyeshadow on the lids of his eyes, adding just the tiniest amount under them as well. Jungwoo pats his cheeks gently, ruffling his hair once more before walking out of the bathroom. 

His attire is simple, black slacks and a button up shirt. He grabs his messenger bag, slinging it over his shoulder before shoving his phone in his pocket and grabbing his keys. He bows to the security guard and steps out into the open world. He sucks in a breath, attempting to let the morning air wake him up. He pulls his phone out of his pocket, checking the time before walking quickly to the subway. 

 

 

 

 

 

Jungwoo is practically jogging as he fixes his coat over his clothes. He smacks his lips together, making sure the lipgloss is spread along his lips evenly. Long fingers run through his hair once more as he rounds the corner. He sees his colleagues huddled around the receptionist desk, smiles on their faces and coffee in hand. 

“Jungwoo!” A boy smiles, waving quickly at him. 

The boy is Doyoung. He’s a bright, positive worker much like himself. He’s two years senior of him and definitely treats Jungwoo like it. He’s one of Jungwoo’s best friends, actually probably is his best friend. The boy smiles brighter as Jungwoo fits in the gap between Doyoung and his other friend, Ten. 

“Hi guys,” Jungwoo says softly, fingers wrapping around his coffee cup. “Thanks for this,” he says, mouth pressing against the lid. He watches Ten smile, body leaning against the counter. Jungwoo takes a long sip, despite the coffee still being rather hot. He doesn’t truly drink for the taste anymore. 

Their small group consists of five people. One obviously being Jungwoo, the others are Doyoung, Ten, Sicheng, Jisung, and Jaehyun. They made up the main ER crew. Doyoung, Jungwoo, and Ten were the head nurses for their small group. Jisung was a new resident and followed the three of them along like a little puppy. Sicheng was their receptionist in charge of making sure paperwork was done correctly and keeping track of the patients going in and out. And Jaehyun was their boss, the chief of the group. It was the perfect group, truly. None of them had any issues with each other, at least not that they knew. They all got along and any drama was normally small and blew over within a few hours. They all worked together wonderfully as well. No matter the situation, they could conquer it confidently. 

“Are you still up for coming over tonight,” Sicheng looks at Jungwoo, eyes crescented as he smiles. “It’s movie night.” 

Jungwoo smiles, fingers rubbing against his cup. He bites his lip, looking over at Sicheng. 

The other laughs and pats Jungwoo’s shoulder gently. “It’s okay if you don’t want to. Don’t feel bad about saying no.” 

The smile on Jungwoo’s lips curls down into a frown quickly. “I’m sorry! I really wanted to but I don’t think I’m-” 

“Seriously Jungwoo, it’s really okay.” The boy laughs squeezing Jungwoo’s shoulder gently. “ Don’t make yourself feel guilty over it.”

But Jungwoo did feel guilty. He had declined all invites to hang out that he’s received in the last two weeks. He wanted to hang out with his friends, he really did. But he just couldn’t. He didn’t want to bother them with his odd mood the entire time. He’d rather just see them at work where he had to be professional and smiley. That was the Jungwoo that they were used to. 

“Okay but you have to let us take you out for your birthday,” Ten says firmly. “I don’t care what you say. We’re going out and that’s final.” 

Jungwoo laughs softly, nodding quickly. “Okay I promise I’ll go out. You guys always give me the best birthday.” 

“I see a lot of slackers so early in the morning.” 

All three of them turn quickly to see Jaehyun, arms crossed and eyebrow raised. Doyoung quickly grabs a folder out from behind the desk. Jisung whines in protest and mutters to make sure Doyoung puts it back where it belongs. Ten laughs, sipping his coffee as he continues to lean against the counter. His fingers push his glasses on that had been forgotten on the counter. The two wander off, trying to find something to do quickly. 

Jungwoo quickly finishes his coffee, bowing to Jaehyun before beginning to walk off. 

“Ah, Jungwoo.” The boy stops and turns around cutely, eyes blinking up at Jaehyun, hoping to get out of any trouble that he possibly may be in. “I just wanted to let you know that you’re doing really well.” Jaehyun pauses, his weight shifting to one leg and arms falling to his hips. “I heard about what happened and I just want to thank you for still working hard.” 

Jungwoo’s shoulders drop. Oh no, no, no. He quickly blinks, feeling tears build in the corners of his eyes. It’s not that he’s upset, really. He’s honored that Jaehyun is telling him that he’s proud. It’s just his goddamn emotions are everywhere. 

“Your birthday is this weekend right?” Jungwoo nods slowly, fingers reaching up to rub at his eyes gently. “I got your birthday shift covered so enjoy a day off.” 

Jungwoo’s heart feels like it’s falling to the bottom of his body. It’s from relief, fear, and sadness. He nods and bows quickly. “Thank you so much, Jaehyun. Please let me know if I can do anything for you.” 

Before he can stand up straight, he feels a hand in his hair, ruffling it gently. Jungwoo looks up, looking straight into Jaehyun’s smiling face. “Just keep being you.” 

Jungwoo stands up, body feeling as though a weight has been lifted. A day off. He sighs to himself, hands pressed against his chest. He hasn’t had one of those in a few months. He isn’t even sure what he’s going to do with a whole day off, let alone on his birthday. 

The bliss is shortly lived as he sees a group of nurses crowded around a stretcher being wheeled in quickly. Jisung quickly runs out from wherever he was hiding, most likely with Sicheng, clipboard in hand. This week they have given him the duty of reporting the symptoms and vitals of all the new patients that come in and make sure that Jisung has them within five minutes of their arrival. Needless to say they scared him pretty good when first assigning the training so he’s been doing rather well. 

_“The first five minutes of a patient arriving is crucial.” Doyoung says, hands moving sharply with his words. “You need to find out what the patient is suffering from. Their vitals and even their allergies. Our goal is to treat them as fast and effectively as possible.”_

__

__

_Jungwoo nods in agreement, leaning his hand back on the desk, body tilting back and one leg crossing over the other. He presses his cheek against his shoulder, eyes peering over at Ten who is busy cleaning his glasses._

__

__

_Jisung is staring at the three of them with big eyes. So big that they almost match the size of his glasses. His bangs are ruffled and a little fluffy from the shower he got about an hour ago and they flutter with everything that he writes down in his notebook._

__

__

_“In the moment, things can seem very stressful and overwhelming. It’s our job to remain calm but work fast to make sure we can get the patient what they need. Or else they could die.”_

__

__

_Jungwoo thinks that Jisungs eyes are going to pop out of his face at this point. He looks terrified and to make matters worse, he sees Jaehyun sneaking up behind him. Jungwoo’s mouth parts and he uncrosses his legs, trying to decide if he should warn Jisung or not. Before he can slide off the desk, Jaehyun is-_

__

__

_“Boo!”_

__

__

_The younger boy screams, hand dropping his pen and arms going above his head. Jaehyun laughs, putting his hand on the boys head, ruffling his hair._

__

__

_“You guys aren’t being too mean to Jisung, are you?”_

__

__

_Ten scoffs and rolls his eyes, “Says the guy who just scared the living daylights out of him.”_

__

__

Jungwoo watches the smaller boy as he takes down information quickly. His brows are furrowed and his hand is writing fast to fill in the patient's chart. The corner of Jungwoo’s lips curl up in a smile. Guess they did a good job after all. 

“Jungwoo, it seems like the patient fell outside due to the ice,” the younger boy looks up at him, eyes concerned. “They’re complaining about a headache and neck stiffness. They most likely fell and hit their head so I think we should get an MRI to rule out any internal bleeding.” 

He nods and leans closer to peek at the chart that Jisung is holding in his hand. “Are the vitals good? We can get the MRI but let’s make sure that the patient is stable before we do that.” 

“Ah,” Jisung nods quickly, “Sorry, um, which one should I normally-” 

Jungwoo laughs softly and pats Jisung’s shoulder, “I’ll explain it better later, just get the vitals for now, please.” 

 

 

 

 

 

A sigh escapes out of Jungwoo’s pink lips. He leans against the receptionist’s counter, head resting in his hands and elbows pressed against the granite surface. 

“What’s wrong?” Jungwoo pouts his lips looking down at Sicheng. “You’re almost done, aren’t you?”

Jungwoo nods, letting his arms fall and cross, leaning his chin on his wrist. “Come eat with me please.” It comes out as a whine and he watches Sicheng raise his eyebrow at him. Jungwoo whines louder, stomping his feet gently, “Please, Sicheng.” 

The other boy sighs, leaning back in his chair. “Where is everyone else?” 

“Doyoung is training Jisung on something and I’m not sure where Ten is. I haven’t seen him since this morning.”

“You know I just normally eat here-” 

“Then just come get a snack from the vending machine!” 

“Jungwoo-” 

“Please...” 

He watches Sicheng bite his lip before pushing himself out of his chair. “Fine, but we have to be quick. I can’t just hang out all the time like you can.” 

Jungwoo clicks his tongue, standing up straight and watching Sicheng walk out from behind the counter. “I don’t hang out.” 

The other laughs softly before shaking his head. “Come on, let’s go.” 

Jungwoo smiles brightly, hands wrapping around Sicheng’s arm before they are pushed off gently. They keep quiet as they walk down the hallway. Jungwoo plays with the candy wrapper that he’s left in his pocket from the morning. His fingers curl it up only to straighten it out again. He watches as Sicheng digs in his pocket for his wallet. 

They both stare at the vending machine, heads tilted slightly. “What do you want, I’ll pay.” 

Jungwoo hums, he moves closer to the machine, hands and face pressing against it. “Can I have the crackers?” 

Sicheng nods, gently nudging Jungwoo out of the way. He hums as he watches the crackers get picked up by the machine. He grabs them out quickly, smiling at Sicheng. “Thank you.” 

The other nods as he picks his own snack. They settle down at the small table next to the machine. Jungwoo grabs single crackers and eats them carefully, making sure to savor every bite. 

“Hey, Jungwoo,” The boy looks up, watching as Sicheng breaks apart his chips before taking a piece and eating it. “Are you okay?” 

Jungwoo tilts his head, smiling softly as he nods. 

Sicheng shakes his head, “I mean like honestly?” 

The question makes Jungwoo’s smile fade slowly. He leans back in his chair, fingers playing with one of the buttons on his shirt. He’s not really sure what to say. Jungwoo has tried his best to not let his friends know how much he’s suffering. He doesn’t want them to worry. Jungwoo is the one that keeps them going when they’re sad. He’s the one that always has a smile and cares for them. Even if he is the one suffering, he doesn’t want to burden the others with having to cheer him up. 

“Yeah,” he says quietly, “I’m getting there.” 

That’s the best way he can describe it. The only words that fit what he’s going through. Maybe he’s being dramatic, he’s known for it. But this is a different kind of dramatic. It’s not the funny, cute, kind. It’s the mind-wandering-too much kind. His mind runs through so many different scenarios of what could have happened. What he could have done better. The ‘if only he was a better boyfriend.’ The ‘if he didn’t work so much. If he could have just chosen an easier job. If he just cared a little more. If he could have-’

“You’re crying.” 

Jungwoo’s eyes widen and he quickly blinks, fingers rubbing away the tears. “I’m fine, really, I just-” 

“Jungwoo,” Sicheng says sadly, “It’s okay if you’re not.” The other frowns, leaning over the table slightly. “I know we’re not as close as like you and Doyoung but, if you need to talk or anything, I’m here for you. You know that.” The boy gently touches Jungwoo’s hand. It’s not something that he would do normally and it makes Jungwoo smile softly. 

Sicheng isn’t someone that Jungwoo can cling to for hours and have a conversation with. He’s slightly more serious and definitely doesn’t put up with Jungwoo’s clinginess. It’s part of the reason why he’s not as close with the boy. But Jungwoo comes to Sicheng for serious matters and if he ever needs help with something at work. The other boy is always willing to help or hang out with him, even with his touchiness. 

“Thank you,” Jungwoo says as he sniffles. He’s trying his best not to break out into a full cry. The last thing he wants is one of the patients coming by and seeing him all puffy faced and red. It doesn’t last long and he’s soon letting out small sobs. 

The real reason he asked Sicheng to eat with him is simply because he doesn’t want to be alone. Being alone lets him think too much. He hasn’t exactly sat down and talked with any of his friends about how he’s feeling. Which is odd for Jungwoo. He normally shares almost everything. Yet he was almost embarrassed to be feeling this way. Or maybe it was simply he was embarrassed that the situation happened to him. 

“Jungwoo?” 

He tilts his head slowly, looking up at Doyoung. His face is concerned, eyes wide and mouth opened, straw from his juice box leaning against his lip. Jungwoo frowns quickly wiping at his eyes and trying to pat the redness away from his cheeks. 

“Are you okay?” Doyoung sits down in the chair next to him, juice box thumping down on the table. 

Jungwoo nods, watching as Doyoung and Sicheng exchange looks. They whisper to each other quietly before Sicheng rubs at Jungwoo’s hand. 

“I have to get back to work. I’ll see you later.” 

Jungwoo’s eyes close as he lets more tears fall against his cheeks. His head tilts down, hand trying to cover his face. He feels Doyoung’s arms around him and the boy pulls him into a hug. The boy smells like cough syrup and the horrible hand soap that’s in the bathroom down the hall. It’s difficult to breath at first, mostly because he can barely breathe at all and the last thing he wants to smell is medicine, but then it becomes almost comforting. He lets himself stay like that. Lets the tears fall, melting into Doyoung’s white coat. His friend doesn’t say anything, only occasionally reminding him to breathe. 

 

 

 

 

 

Jungwoo stares at himself in the mirror. His eyes are lined with sparkling eyeshadow and touched with the smallest amount of eyeliner. His cheeks are tinted pink and his lips are pink and glossy. He turns slowly in his full-body mirror, admiring his outfit. His torso is covered by a black turtleneck. White pants are tight around his legs and even tighter around his butt. 

“Here, wear this too.” 

Ten shoves a long dangling earring in his hand. Jungwoo tilts his head. He’s not the biggest fan of wearing earrings. He normally does when he goes out but he wasn’t planning on it because of how cold it is. 

“You gotta look good for your birthday.” 

Jungwoo laughs softly as he gently presses the earring in. He plays with it, watching it sway back and forth quickly. He hums as he grabs his denim jacket, slipping it over his shoulders. 

“Okay but hat or no hat.” Jungwoo holds up a black hat to his head. 

Ten scrunches his nose up before shaking his head. “No hat. Your hair color goes well with your eyeshadow and that hat messes up the look.” 

The boy nods, looking at himself once again in the mirror. He grips his jacket, turning around to look at his back the best he can. “I’m ready whenever you are.” 

It’s the first time that Jungwoo has been out in months. Not only because of his ridiculous work schedule but because of his mental state. He barely wanted to get out of bed let alone go out clubbing. He still wasn’t even sure if it was the right thing to do. He feels his fingers shake gently and he takes a deep breath as they walk outside. The cold February air hits them hard and Ten groans, arms crossing over his body. He wraps his arm around Jungwoo, pulling him close as they walk. 

They sigh as they slide into seats on the subway. It’s crowded but they were able to quickly grab seats in the middle of the car. It’s warm, probably a little too warm but since Jungwoo is absolutely freezing, it’s okay. 

“It’s really nice that Jaehyun gave you the night off,” Ten says, eyes staring at his phone as he types. 

“Yeah,” Jungwoo says softly, stretching his legs out. “I wonder who’s working though. I normally work until at least midnight.” 

Ten hums, shrugging as he leans back in the seat, back of his head pressing against the window. “Don’t worry about it. You know Jaehyun has it under control. Besides, you deserve to not work disgustingly long shifts.” 

“It’s only because that one nurse left,” Jungwoo says, tilting his head as he rubs his legs. “Now that we have Jisung, hopefully soon it won’t be as bad.” 

“Yeah but you also don’t know how to say no when Jaehyun asks you to work longer too. And You know Jisung isn’t going to be by himself for at least a year.” Ten stands up, holding his hand out for Jungwoo. “Come on, this is our stop.” 

Jungwoo takes Ten’s hand. The other boy is wearing leather pants and a v-neck white shirt that’s probably a little too low. Jungwoo wishes he had the confidence to wear revealing clothes like Ten normally does. 

He feels his palms become slightly sweatier as Ten guides them through the groups of people on the sidewalk. It isn’t long before he spots Doyoung leaning against the window of a closed cafe. The boy is wearing a button up shirt, the top two buttons undone. He’s wearing tight black jeans. Jungwoo suddenly feels like he’s underdressed. Not that it truly matters since it’s dark in the club. 

“Happy birthday,” Doyoung sings loudly as Jungwoo and Ten come closer. “Happy birthday, my dear Jungwoo.” The boy wraps his arm around Jungwoo’s neck, pulling him down against his chest while pinching the back of his neck. 

“Easy Usagi, I styled his hair perfectly. Don’t mess it up.” Ten whines, hitting Doyoung’s arm. 

“How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that,” Doyoung hisses, patting Jungwoo’s hair down and fixing his jacket. 

“I think it’s cute though,” Jungwoo agrees as he sticks his tongue out. “A cute nickname for a cute little bunny.” 

Doyoung rolls his eyes, arms crossing. “You’re lucky it’s your birthday.” Doyoung pushes his bangs to the side as he looks at Jungwoo and then Ten. “You guys ready to go in?” 

Ten nods and throws his hands up as he begins walking towards the entrance. “I’m getting a table for us.” 

Jungwoo feels his cheeks heat up and he tugs on his jacket. “You don’t need to do that, really.” A table was a lot. It was decent money, especially at the club they were at. Jungwoo didn’t want his friends to spend that much money for him. He didn’t want them to get a table and have them waste their money since Jungwoo can’t handle alcohol in the slightest. 

“Come on, it’s your birthday, Woo.” 

He can’t protest anymore when they enter the club. The music is way too loud and he feels the bass run through his body. It’s been a while since he’s been to the club, much too long. He’s still nervous, feeling his legs shaking slightly. He’s not sure why he’s so nervous. Clubs are his thing. It’s their thing. Jungwoo loves to feel the music become one with him. He loves getting lost in the crowd of people and dancing until he feels his legs go numb. 

The table they have is a corner booth, one with large red cushions and a fancy light that hangs in the middle. Jungwoo slides on the bench to see a round of shots already on the table and a handful of cocktails. 

“To our little Woo.” 

The three hold up the shot glasses, pressing them together gently. Ten and Doyoung finish their shot quickly, swallowing it in one go. Jungwoo sips on his slowly before Ten taps the bottom of his glass, urging him to just finish it. The vodka burns his throat and he coughs softly, a shiver running up his spine as he sets the glass down. 

“Ugh,” Ten groans, finger pointing over towards the bar. “Look, It’s Mark.” 

Jungwoo tilts his head, squinting his eyes as he tries to see the boy through the line of people. He spots the other pressed up against the bar, leaning close to another boy. They seem to be talking, lips close to each other’s ears while they speak due to the music. 

Mark is part of the pediatrics unit. He’s not exactly a favorite in their group due to the fact he once tried to steal Sicheng’s girlfriend. Well, not steal per se since they weren’t together in the first place. But he was attempting to go on dates with her at the same time Sicheng was. 

“It looks like he’s with Donghyuck, right?” Doyoung says, eyes looking over at Ten. “I thought he didn’t like him.” 

Ten rolls his eyes, sliding what looks like some kind of fruity drink towards him. He takes a long sip before licking his lips. “I heard Donghyuck might become the new lead of their group since the current one is moving to a different hospital. He’s probably sucking up to him.” 

Jungwoo puffs his cheeks out, the warmth beginning to creep into them. He lets his fingers slide down the slim glass in front of him. The condensation makes the tips of his fingers cold. The drink is slightly pink, red on the bottom and lighter at top. He leans forward to sniff it. It makes him scrunch his nose up but he takes a small sip anyways. The strawberry taste is strong and he can barely taste any alcohol. He takes a few more sips before Ten grabs his arm and slides him out of the booth. 

“Let’s see the Jungwoo we know,” Ten says loudly in his ear. 

Jungwoo feels his cheeks heat up even more, not just from the alcohol. He sucks in a breath nodding quickly. Why is he so nervous? This time he could dance freely. He didn’t have to worry about his boyfriend thinking that he’s hitting on other people. Jungwoo actually laughs softly at the thought of his ex-boyfriend worrying that he’s flirting with someone else. 

Ten hits his shoulder and begins dancing next to him. Jungwoo watches him, the way he moves his hips and how long his legs become when he dances. It’s fluid and so very distinctly Ten. Doyoung also seems to have moved out from the table. Jungwoo watches as he dances with a girl dressed in all black. Her hair is a platinum blonde and is almost as long as the length of her back. 

The song changes and it makes Jungwoo smile. It’s one of his favorite songs to dance to. He lets himself bounce to the rhythm before falling into his dancing. The alcohol begins to hit him soon after. His eyes are glassed over and he knows his cheeks are bright pink. The music is all he hears at one point. The vibrations match his body movement and Jungwoo becomes one with the beat. 

Doyoung wanders over several songs later. He has a drink in hand and Jungwoo slips it out of his hand and takes long sips until there’s barely anything left. It’s unlike him to drink so much, it’s really not a lot by any means but for a lightweight like Jungwoo, it’s a lot. The glass disappears at some point and he feels Doyoung’s hands on his hips. Jungwoo leans his head back, neck falling against the other’s shoulder. Doyoung’s definitely not drunk. Jungwoo can tell by his eyes. He’s tipsy if anything and it surprises Jungwoo that Doyoung is dancing with him. 

The grip on his hips make Jungwoo press his ass back against Doyoung’s hips. The other doesn’t protest and he soon feels lips pressed against his neck. The lips move up to his ear and he can hear Doyoung moan softly. 

“You’re always so hot when you dance,” Doyoung says, practically growling in his ear. 

It’s odd for Jungwoo. He hasn’t had anybody else close to him like this since before his ex-boyfriend. Sure he clings to Doyoung at work but this is different. This isn’t the innocent skinship and normally it’s Jungwoo initiating it. 

Jungwoo has to pull away after a few songs. They had turned to face each other and Doyoung’s hands were squeezing Jungwoo’s ass every few seconds. But Jungwoo was terribly sweaty and he needed to go clean himself up a little. He presses his lips against Doyoung’s ear, telling him he’d be right back. 

The trip to the bathroom is a difficult one. He stumbles and bumps into countless people on his way. He can barely see and the room is rocking with every step. Needless to say he was definitely drunk. The lights in the bathroom are extremely bright in contrast to the darkness of the club. It takes him a few seconds for his eyes to adjust and even when they do he’s still squinting and whining softly. 

Jungwoo wets a paper towel, gently patting it against his forehead. His bangs are soaked and they stick to his skin. His make-up is mostly there. Half of his eyeshadow has disappeared and he somehow has sparkles on his jaw. He reaches in his pocket to pull out his lipgloss when he hears an odd noise. It’s somewhere between a grunt and a groan of pain. Jungwoo tilts his head, waiting until the room stops spinning to see if he can find where the noise is coming from. It happens one more time before Jungwoo notices a pair of legs across the ground in one of the stalls. 

He bites his lip, unsure if he should go over. But in the back of his drunken mind he thinks ‘what if someone’s hurt?’ He would feel awful if he ignored someone that needed medical assistance, especially since he’s a nurse. 

“Hello?” He says it quietly, slowly walking towards the stall. The person groans again, this time definitely in pain. Jungwoo knocks on the stall. “Are you okay? I’m a nurse so if you need help, please let me know.” He can barely hear his voice, ears still ringing from the music that’s been filling them for the last few hours. 

Jungwoo goes to knock again but the door gently opens. He swallows, wondering if this is actually a good idea. He peeks his head in to see a boy. He’s leaning back against the wall. His face is drenched in sweat. Eyes are closed and face scrunched in pain. Jungwoo gasps softly, eyes scanning over the other. His skin is extremely pale. So pale that he’d even consider calling it blue. 

“Are you okay?” Jungwoo kneels down next to the boy. “I’m a nurse so please trust me.” Jungwoo feels himself sobering up. He takes a deep breath. _‘Okay remember what to do. Vitals first. You can do this, Jungwoo.’_

He presses two fingers to the boy’s neck to check his heartbeat. He tilts his head and slides his fingers down a little. It’s unlike him not to be able to find a pulse properly. Maybe it’s the alcohol or maybe he’s just too nervous. His fingers grab at the boy’s wrist in hopes of finding one there. 

“You can stop looking,” the boy says softly. He opens his eyes but just enough for Jungwoo to see the color of them. It’s a beautiful blue. One he’s never seen before. “I don’t have one.” 

Jungwoo’s face contorts in confusion. “What do you-” 

“I need help,” he says, the words coming out broken by small groans. 

Jungwoo isn’t really sure what to do right now. He’s not even sure if this is real. Maybe he passed out from the amount of drinks he had. Maybe he’s sleeping soundly in his bed for once and he’s just having a weird dream. What does this boy mean he doesn't have a pulse? If he didn’t have a pulse he wouldn’t be able to talk to him. He wouldn’t be able to move or anything. 

“Okay,” Jungwoo says shakily, lips parting and eyes scanning over the boy. “The hospital isn’t far from here-” 

“Are you stupid?” The boy hisses, eyes glaring at Jungwoo. “I can’t go to a hospital.” 

“Then what do you want me to do?” Jungwoo asks, genuinely confused on what he can do at the moment. “I don’t know what’s wrong so to properly treat you, I need equipment and that’s at the hospital.” 

The boy stays quiet for a few seconds before reaching his hand up, grabbing at Jungwoo’s jacket. “You can take me but only if you make sure absolutely no one sees us.” 

Jungwoo swallows, biting at his lip. What should he do? What can he do? This boy could be dangerous. This could all be a big trick and maybe he’s out to kill Jungwoo. Or out to kill in general and Jungwoo just happened to be the one to fall into his trap. 

“O-Okay,” he says as he nods. This could either be the completely wrong thing to do or the right. He really hoped it was the latter.


	2. { ❀ }

Jungwoo furrows his brows as he struggles to read the text messages that are flooding his phone. 

_[Doyoung] Jungwoo~ Where did you go? I hope you didn’t fall in the toilet in the bathroom._

_[Jungwoo] I’m fine. I had to leave. Don’t worry about me Usagi~_

He rubs his forehead, groaning slightly as he switches to Ten’s name. 

_[Ten] hey where’d you go??_  
[Ten] i saw you dancing with Doyoung!!! Don’t tell me you got shy and ran away  
[Ten] I’m pretty sure he secretly likes you.  
[Ten] Don’t tell him I told you that! Just get your ass back out here. 

_[Jungwoo] I had to leave! I don’t want to be too tired for tomorrow! I’m sorry I didn’t say bye!_

He groans, shoving his phone in his jacket pocket. The boy next to him is sitting silently. His eyes are closed and his head tilted back against the seat of the taxi. Jungwoo bites his lip, watching as the boy breathes softly. He’s still unsure of what to do. The boy told him he can’t let anyone see them. Yet that is nearly impossible. There’s no way he can sneak someone in the hospital, even if it is late at night. Not only is he at a loss of what to do but he’s still pretty intoxicated. He’s not even sure if he should be doing any kind of medical procedure in the state he’s in. 

Jungwoo stares at the boy. He has a wonderful jawline and it looks even more amazing from where he’s sitting. His lips are plump and even though his skin is pale, his lips are pinker than Jungwoo expected. The boy tilts his head and his eyes meet with Jungwoo’s. 

“S-Sorry,” Jungwoo mutters, fingers gripping at his jacket. He peeks up at the other to see that his lips have curled into a smirk. The other laughs softly before going back to staring out the window. 

Jungwoo tilts his head, peeking out the window. They’re close to the hospital and oh, guess he should figure out how he’s going to do this. If he, Doyoung, and Ten have the night off then that means it must be Jisung and Jaehyun in there right now. He fumbles to get his phone out of his pocket and nearly drops it when he finally gets it out. His head leans against the window as he searches through his contacts. Shaky fingers click on Jisung’s name as he presses the phone to his ear. 

“Hello?” 

“Hey, Jisung. How are you?” 

The boy stays quiet for a few seconds before Jungwoo realizes that he was yawning. “Fine. Why are you calling so late though? I thought you were going out?” 

“Um, I did.” Jungwoo says. He’s unsure if he should be telling Jisung what’s going on or not but he needs his help so he has to tell him something. “I need a really big favor. You’d be my absolute favorite if you did it for your Jungwoo.” He hums softly at the end, attempting to convince the younger, even though he knows he’d do it anyways. 

“As long as it’s not as weird as what Ten asked me to do the other day,” the boy mumbles. 

Jungwoo would inquire about whatever that was but he was getting too close to the hospital to make small talk. “I need you to block off the south entrance. The one that no one really uses. I have a patient but he requests to be treated in private.” 

“Why are you taking care of someone on your birthday? Jaehyun gave you off because-”

“It doesn’t matter,” Jungwoo says quickly, licking his lips. “I’ll be there in like two minutes.” He presses the end button on the screen, looking over at the boy, wondering if he was going to say anything about the phone call. 

They get out of the cab, Jungwoo first. He helps the boy out of his side, allowing him to lean against him. He smells of something sweet. Not necessarily sugar but Jungwoo isn’t sure what else to compare it to. It’s easier to see the boy in the bright lights from the outside of the hospital. But Jungwoo barely has time to eye him before Jisung is peeking his head out of the door. 

“He’s just my resident, okay? He’s not gonna say anything to anyone,” Jungwoo says softly to reassure the other boy since he made such a fuss about coming to the hospital in the first place. 

There’s the scared look on Jisung’s face as usual. He has a clipboard in hand and Jungwoo whispers to him that he doesn’t need to do that this time. Jisung looks confused but nods as they walk through the hallway. 

They settle in a room, one normally used by the doctors for general surgery. Thankfully none of them work overnights and there’s no one nearby, not even the security officer who is usually leaned back in the receptionist desk. 

Jungwoo helps the boy up on the examination bed. He watches him groan in discomfort, hand rubbing at his face. 

“Jisung,” Jungwoo says as he turns to the boy, “Can you bring me the normal cart? You can just leave it outside and I’ll get it.” 

The blond boy nods, teeth biting at his bottom lip. Jungwoo walks over to him, gently pushing him outside the door, closing it behind him. “I know this is weird,” he says, running his hand through his own hair, “I’m not really sure what’s going on either but he needs medical help.” 

“I promise not to tell anyone,” he says with a firm nod, “not even Jaehyun. Oh-!” The boy pauses before checking his watch. “I have to do my hourly check on the patients! I’ll be quick and then bring you what you need!” 

He watches the younger boy run down the hallway. Jungwoo rubs his face, patting his cheeks gently. What was he going to do? He still wasn’t sobered all the way and he was seriously doubting that this is a good idea. But he already brought the boy here and it would be very unlike Jungwoo not to treat him. _Just treat him like a regular patient. Just one that..doesn’t have a pulse._

The stranger positioned himself so he’s sitting up slightly. His eyes are open now and Jungwoo can see him staring at him the second he enters the room. He bites his lip, walking over to the boy. 

“Okay, can I ask a few questions?” 

The other tilts his head before parting his lips to speak. “My name’s Lucas,” Jungwoo opens his mouth to ask a question but the boy continues speaking. “I’m nineteen, technically. I’m a vampire.” 

Jungwoo feels the time around him stop. Vampire? Jungwoo blinks quickly, head tilting. He feels his earring slide across his shoulder from how far he’s tilted his head. His lips part only to close again, unsure what to say. 

“I need blood, really. I haven’t,” Lucas pauses before rubbing his forehead, “I haven’t had any in days.” 

“But-” 

“Listen, just get me what I need and I’ll answer all your questions, okay? I’m not gonna last much longer.” 

Now he’s really unsure of what to do. Jungwoo nods slowly, standing up as he looks around the room. “Um, what, do you have a kind that you like best?” It’s odd asking that question. Asking a normal looking boy what kind of blood he wants to drink. It feels unethical. It feels dirty and Jungwoo feels like he should just run. But he’s almost certain it wouldn’t be a good idea. 

“I’d really prefer yours if we’re being honest.” Lucas says it so casually and bluntly. “You smell really good.” 

Jungwoo feels his cheeks heat up, burn up if he’s being accurate. His fingers tug at his collar since it’s suddenly feeling very hot and he feels dizzy. “Um, I-” 

“It’s fine,” Lucas says leaning his head back, “I don’t care what kind. Just bring a lot.” 

The walk to the blood storage room seems like a mile long. It’s only a few turns away, but with the way Jungwoo’s head is spinning and he feels like he’s gonna throw up makes it seem like he’s been walking forever. _A vampire?_ Jungwoo’s heard stories but those are just stories, right? But in those stories they’re always terribly ugly, horrible creatures that are violent. Yet, Lucas isn’t any of that. At least not the ugly part. Or violent, that he knows of. 

His fingers hover over the doorknob. He can see them shaking and he presses his forehead against the door. This is really, really wrong. First of all, he’s going to be stealing blood, technically. It’s not going through the system and it’s not going to be tracked as being used. Second, he’s going to be feeding it to a vampire, a monster. Who knows what Lucas could become once he has blood near him. 

Jungwoo pushes the door open and he grabs three bags of blood, all different types in hopes that it won’t look like anything is missing. His eyes scan the hallway before he makes his way back to the room. Lucas is lying calmly, cellphone in hand. Jungwoo tilts his head, shutting the door behind him quietly. 

The boy’s eyes light up when he sees the bags of blood in his arms. “Oh those look so good,” he practically shouts as he claps his hands. 

Jungwoo hushes him quickly. “If you’re not quiet, people are going to know you’re here.” 

Lucas smiles, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry, like I said, it’s been a while.” 

“How do you want me to..” Jungwoo’s voice trails off as he looks down at the bags. 

“You can just give them to me.” Lucas holds his arms out, wiggling his fingers. 

Jungwoo sits in the chair, eyes staring at Lucas as the boy bites off the corner of one of the bags. The boy wraps his lips around the bag and Jungwoo can now clearly see the fangs that Lucas has. They’re sharp and surprisingly white. The boy sips out of the bag, almost like it’s a freeze pop. Jungwoo tilts his head, watching the bliss that’s now on Lucas’s face. Oh. Oh. Jungwoo doesn’t feel good at all. He feels the room start to spin and before he can register what’s happening, everything goes black. 

 

 

 

 

A loud ringing sound wakes Jungwoo up. He feels his head pound worse than he’s ever felt in his entire life. His fingers reach for the sound, realizing that it’s his phone. He grabs it, pressing it up to his ear. 

“H-Hello?” His voice is raspy and Jungwoo clears his throat, free hand rubbing at his face. 

“Morning Sunshine.” Sicheng’s voice echoes throughout his head, making it throb even more. “I know you had a good night last night but I hope you didn’t forget you had work today.”

Jungwoo opens his eyes quickly, looking over to stare at the digital clock that’s on his nightstand. His eyes are still blurry but he can tell that it’s definitely passed six. “Oh god, Sicheng what time is it?” 

“Almost ten,” he says calmly. “Everyone’s been calling you since like eight but you haven’t picked up, obviously.” 

Jungwoo whines, pushing his bangs back. “I’m so sorry! I’m getting dressed right now and I’ll be there in less than half an hour.” 

He can hear Sicheng laugh on the other side of the phone. “Don’t rush. They told me how much you drank last night so I know you’ve got to be feeling pretty shitty. Just try to make it in before lunch, okay?” 

The boy hangs up and Jungwoo sets his phone on his nightstand. He groans loudly, burying his head in his hands. He’s never been late. Never ever in his entire time at the hospital. How could he be late after Jaehyun was so nice enough to give him the night off. At least it didn’t seem like they were mad. 

Jungwoo stands up only to sit right back down again. His head is pounding and he’s terribly nauseous. Oh, he’s definitely going to throw up. Jungwoo manages to get himself up and into his bathroom just in time for him to fall to his knees in front of the toilet. It smells disgusting and he realizes that he smells disgusting too. He’s still in his clothes from last night and they reek of alcohol and sweat. 

“I don’t think you’re going anywhere for a little bit, buttercup.” 

The deep voice makes Jungwoo turn around quickly. He regrets it almost instantly as his head begins to spin yet again. Once it focuses, he stares at the boy in front of him. His eyes widen and he attempts to push himself off the toilet. 

“Hey, don’t push yourself.” The boy laughs, crouching down in front of him. “You’re pretty hungover.” 

Jungwoo doesn’t exactly remember what happened last night. He was at the club he knows, he remembers that much. Did.. did he bring this boy home? Jungwoo’s cheeks heat up quickly and he presses his hands to his face. _Oh god, oh god, did I...did we?_ The other boy laughs as if he could understand his thoughts. 

“Do you not remember?” The boy huffs and sits down on the floor next to him, back against the cabinets. “I’ll make a long story short. I’m Lucas. I was really sick and you found me in the club and took care of me.” He hums and tilts his head. “But you passed out at the hospital and your little friend was not easy to get information out of.” 

Lucas. Lucas. Lucas. Jungwoo blinks, trying to remember something, anything. Surely, he would remember something like that, right? Did he really drink that much alcohol last night? 

“Come on, you gotta remember. Oh! I bet I know what will jog your memory!” The boy is much too loud and Jungwoo feels his head pounding at every raise of his voice. He scrunches his nose up and watches as the boy opens his mouth, fingers pointing to his fangs. 

Wait. It all comes back to Jungwoo. His eyes widen and he feels like his heart is going to burst out of his chest from nervousness. 

“Oh, there we go.” Lucas says with a laugh. “I’m kind of hurt it took you that long. I thought we bonded, sort of.” 

Lucas is a vampire. Lucas is a vampire. He’s a vampire and Jungwoo gave him bags of blood from the hospital. The hospital he snuck the boy into last night after finding him. What was Jungwoo thinking? And how did they get back to his apartment? Even if he did pry information out of Jisung, the resident doesn’t know where he lives. Did Jungwoo wake up and tell the boy? Or did he threaten one of his friends to tell him his address? 

“You’re not going to hurt me, are you?” Jungwoo asks quietly. He doesn’t think that Lucas is dangerous. He surely doesn’t seem like it. If he was truly dangerous he would have sucked the blood right out of him last night when they met. He certainly wouldn’t have let him sleep through the night either. 

Lucas shakes his head, tilting it slightly as he runs his fingers through the bathroom rug. “I wasn’t planning on it.” The boy smiles, licking at his lips. “I was actually planning on leaving you at the hospital but I was honestly kind of worried about you. So I asked your friend where you live. I was surprised he told me but I think he was a little scared.” 

Jungwoo whines, pushing his hair back as he leans back against the counters. “How does he even know where I live,” he mumbles softly. Jungwoo wonders if he texted Doyoung or Ten. Or even Jaehyun. 

“But hey, I really wanted to thank you for taking care of me. I was worried I wasn’t gonna make it. It had been almost a week and I was desperate.” Lucas puffs his cheeks out, pursuing his lips into a pout. “I actually went into the club to try to find someone to feed off of but I just was too weak.” 

The last part of Lucas’s words fade out as Jungwoo leans back over the toilet, throwing up once again. This time it burned and his stomach and chest were aching. The other boy leaves silently and comes back just as quietly. He leans Jungwoo’s head back, placing a cold towel on his forehead. 

Their eyes meet. Jungwoo’s brown eyes with Lucas’s bright blue ones. He lets his eyes look at Lucas’s face clearly. He has dirty blonde hair that looks like it hasn’t been dyed in a month or two. Lips that are plump and a jaw that is pleasing to look at. He was handsome, really handsome. What was happening? Why did this happen? Why did it happen to Jungwoo? He was just so confused. Vampires are supposed to be a myth. And even if they were real, they weren’t supposed to look like this. 

“How much did you drink last night,” Lucas says with a laugh. His fingers push Jungwoo’s hair back slightly to make sure it doesn’t get wet from the towel. 

“Not a lot,” Jungwoo mutters, eyes looking down in shame. “This really sucks.” 

“Oh, your phone was going off a lot this morning. Let me go get it for you.” 

Jungwoo watches as Lucas leaves the room. His eyes squint before they close. He sighs loudly, unsure of what to think of this whole situation. He’s still not sure what’s really going on. Not only that but he’s still not mentally all there. His heart is still aching and his body is sore from work and now from last night. He honestly didn’t have the power mentally to process what was happening. 

“Here,” Lucas presses the corner of the phone against Jungwoo’s cheek, making him open his eyes. “I’ll go get you some water.” 

Jungwoo nods, holding his phone up so he doesn’t have to move his head. “Six missed calls and a ton of messages,” he pouts, not sure if he wants to read any of them. 

_[Doyoung] Are you alive?? I’m getting really worried!_  
_[Doyoung] Jungwoo? Answer me please._  
_[Doyoung] Are you mad at me?_  
_[Doyoung] I’m sorry if i upset you. I wasn’t trying to come onto you. I just wanted to have fun._  
_[Doyoung] Are you coming to work? Let me know if I can do anything for you._  
_[Doyoung] I’m sorry._

“Great,” he mutters, frowning as he reads over Doyoung’s messages again. He had forgotten that he had danced with Doyoung. His cheeks heat up in a small blush when he begins to remember how touchy the older one was. He definitely wasn’t mad. He was just passed out. 

_[Sicheng] Hope you didn’t have too much fun last night, birthday boy!  
[Sicheng] Hey are you alright? _

_[Ten] Doyoung thinks you’re mad at him and that’s why you’re not coming to work.  
[Ten] But really, what’s wrong? It’s not like you to be so upset over a little touching._

_[Jisung] I gave Lucas your address. I’m super sorry! I didn’t know what to do :(_

Jungwoo stops reading as Lucas walks back in, glass of water in hand. “I bet your friends are worried about you, huh?”

He nods, reaching his hand out for the water. “Yeah, I should probably get ready for work. I don’t want to lose my job.” Jungwoo takes small sips, fearing that if he drinks too fast it’ll all come right back up. It takes him a moment to stand up, setting the barely drunken water on the counter. His eyes look over at Lucas who is staring at his fingernails, back leaning against the counter. The boy is dressed in white pajama pants with what looks like small red hearts. His shirt is tan and he has the sleeves rolled up almost to his shoulders. Jungwoo squints before blinking a few times. 

“Are you wearing my clothes?” 

Lucas looks over at him with a large grin. He turns and points at himself, laughing loudly. “They look good right? I’m glad they fit!” 

If Jungwoo wasn’t hungover, he’s positive he would throw a small fit. If Jungwoo wasn’t mentally broken, he’s positive he would throw a fit. If Jungwoo was in his right mind at all, he would definitely throw a fit. If Jungwoo was even thinking, he would throw a fit because he doesn’t know this boy at all and he’s in his apartment. He’s in his apartment in his pajamas. A boy he doesn’t know at all, one that’s a vampire at that, is currently staring at him with the biggest grin while they stand in his bathroom. 

What the hell was Jungwoo doing?

 

 

 

 

 

The train to work is less crowded than usual. It’s during the off time, nearly eleven-thirty, so naturally it’s only full of elderly people or parents with children that are too young for school. His head is still pounding and his legs feel weak even while he’s sitting. He has a lot to process, too much to process while he’s still hungover. 

Lucas had been kind to him the rest of the morning. He asked if he needed anything after Jungwoo got dressed from his shower. He had went through his medicine cabinet trying to find painkillers. The only problem was, Lucas obviously had no idea what he was looking for since he kept bringing back wrong things like vitamins and Jungwoo’s sleeping medicine. 

It was extremely odd to Jungwoo that this boy would be so nice to him. But he has to think if he would be any different. Maybe a little quieter since Lucas decided to start shouting as he settled down in front of the TV to watch some variety show. For being a vampire, he was pretty normal. He seemed like a regular teenage boy, he found out that he’s only nineteen when Lucas asked Jungwoo for his age. 

The boy had asked if he could stay at Jungwoo’s place until the sun went down, for obvious reasons. Jungwoo quietly agreed, feeling bad if he said no. Lucas smiled brightly as he thanked him. They shared phone numbers and Lucas promised to text him when he left and make sure he locks the door. For some reason Jungwoo felt like he could trust the boy. He hadn’t done anything to make him feel like he was in danger or uncomfortable at all, really. But maybe he really was out of his mind. 

Jisung is the first to see him when he walks into the hospital. His bag is hanging off one shoulder and his hand is gripping a water bottle. The boy quickly walks over to him, bowing a few times before peering up at him through his bangs. 

“Jungwoo, um, I’m really sorry. He was very persistent on finding out where you live. I hope you’re okay and he didn’t do anything weird.” 

The younger boy looks truly worried. Jungwoo smiles, shaking his head as he takes a sip from his water. “Everything’s okay, Jisung. Thank you for being so helpful last night.” 

The blond boy stares at him more and Jungwoo knows what he’s thinking. Jisung is young, almost too young to be a resident and his looks make him look even younger. But being a doctor is his dream and he’s worked hard towards it. He’s always willing to do whatever they ask, even the unpleasant things like changing bandages and cleaning up body fluids while the others talk. He was kind and thoughtful, bringing them snacks during hard days. Anyone looking at him would think that he’s just a scared little boy who has no idea what he’s doing. Yet Jisung was hardworking and determined. 

“I won’t tell anyone, I promise.” Jisung nods quickly, giving a thumbs up to Jungwoo. “But,” the boy pauses before leaning closer to him, “is he your new boyfriend?” 

Jungwoo feels his face turn bright red. He shakes his head quickly, waving his arms and nearly dropping his water bottle. “No, no, no.” It comes out quickly, almost too quickly and it probably seems like Jungwoo is lying. “I don’t even know him.” 

“Well, he was really nice, I guess.” Jisung tilts his head, crossing his arms. “I guess when you passed out you kind of well,” Jisung leans close again, “peed yourself. But he cleaned you up and the chair.” 

Jungwoo feels like he could pass out again, this time not from being drunk or watching Lucas drink a bag of blood like a juice box. He’s terribly embarrassed and he quickly puts his hand over Jisung’s mouth to prevent him from talking. Jungwoo laughs nervously before turning the other boy around and patting his back. 

“I’m sure there’s something you can be doing right now.” 

The boy gets the hint and wanders off, waving cutely at Jungwoo as he turns the corner. Jungwoo slumps down onto a bench against the wall. He lets his bag slide off his shoulder and he tucks his water bottle between his thighs. It makes sense why Jungwoo smelled terrible this morning. Not only from alcohol. He groans, fingers gripping at his hair. But that means Lucas must have cleaned up his own mess too. Jungwoo sighs, wondering what he did with the blood and hopes that he was smart enough to realize that Jungwoo could get in a lot of trouble if someone found them. 

His small mental breakdown stops quickly when he feels a flick to his head. Jungwoo whines and looks up to see Ten staring at him. The boy grabs his arm and tugs him up. Jungwoo grabs his water bottle before it can fall to the ground. 

“Ten,” Jungwoo says softly. 

The boy laughs before beginning to drag him down the hallway. “God, you’re a mess. We’ll talk later though. There’s a ton of patients and Doyoung’s been hiding in the bathroom for the last hour so we’re really behind.” 

Doyoung, right. Jungwoo frowns as he remembers the text that the boy sent him. He doesn’t have much time to think more about it before Ten shoves him in the locker room. 

 

 

 

 

By four, Jungwoo finally feels like his head isn’t going to fall off. He’s currently eating a pile of rice in the cafeteria, two empty plates besides him. He groans, leaning back in his seat. It’s his third plate of food and it’s finally starting to hit him. Long fingers ruffle his bangs, head wiggling slightly as they tickle his forehead. It’s the first time he’s gotten to sit down since he arrived. His legs still ache and he feels like he’s been working for twenty-four hours straight. But he’s okay. 

Jungwoo licks his lips as he pulls his phone out of his pocket. There’s still no text from Lucas but the sun is just beginning to set. He wonders what the boy has done to occupy himself. Did he sleep? Jungwoo hopes he didn’t go snooping through his room. Not that Jungwoo has anything _too_ embarrassing. 

His thirty-minute break is over quicker than he wants it to be. He finds himself walking down the hallway towards the ER just past four thirty. He walks slowly, mind racing with a thousand different thoughts. It’s quieted down thankfully and he finally has time to focus on himself rather than patients. 

Despite everything that happened in the last twenty-four hours, Jungwoo actually doesn’t feel terrible. Sure he did earlier but that’s because his body was punishing him for the alcohol. But right now, mentally, he feels okay. The first time he has in several weeks. He’s not sure if it’s the fact that he went out and actually enjoyed himself for the first time since the breakup. The first time he didn’t think about work or his ex. And even though everything with Lucas happened, he barely remembers it. If he had been completely sober, his mind would have probably taken it a different way. 

Jungwoo stops as he’s about to enter their shared office space. He can hear Doyoung’s voice in the room. He frowns, thinking about the text messages that he’s yet to reply to. The boy hasn’t avoided him completely, he saw him several times but they didn’t exactly speak. 

“How many times do I have to tell you,” Jungwoo hears Ten’s voice and he lets himself lean against the wall next to the door. “Jungwoo isn’t upset at you. He’s not mad either so stop thinking like that. You know Jungwoo. He’s going through a lot.” 

He lets himself step into the room. He feels his cheeks heat up slightly as he watches Doyoung and Ten look over at him. “Hey,” he says softly. “Can I sit with you guys?” 

Doyoung looks at Ten before nodding slowly. 

Jungwoo walks to the table quietly, barely making a noise as he sits down across from them. “Uh, sorry for leaving without telling you guys last night.” He watches as their eyes tilt down to focus on the table surface instead of Jungwoo. “Something came up and I had to leave. I promise it’s nothing that you did, Doyoung.” Jungwoo lets his hand reach out, fingers brushing over the top of Doyoung’s hand. “I had a lot of fun.” 

He watches as Doyoung’s gaze returns to him. His cheeks are just the faintest tint of pink and he can see the relief on his face. Jungwoo laughs, arms wrapping around the other boy. He pulls him into a tight hug, cheek rubbing against his shoulder. 

The boy was definitely not mad at Doyoung. He liked the way Doyoung was confident enough to come to him and begin dancing. He didn’t try to make Jungwoo uncomfortable and his movements were subtle enough that Jungwoo could have protested if he wanted to. It’s not the first time they had interacted like that. It’s been a while, obviously, but the two of them used to be even more touchy than they were now. They’ve been friends for almost Jungwoo’s whole life. It was normal, even if last night was the closest they’ve been since Jungwoo’s had a boyfriend. 

“Ugh,” Ten says, turning away from them. “I’m glad you guys made up but enough with the cutesy hugging.” 

Jungwoo laughs, pulling away from Doyoung. “Right, I should get back to work.” 

Doyoung hums as Jungwoo stands up. “What time do you get off?” The boy tilts his head, elbow resting on the table and cheek resting in his hand. 

“I’m planning on leaving at eight, as long as everything is okay.” 

“Do you think I could come over? We haven’t had a sleepover in so long.” 

Jungwoo smiles, nodding quickly. “Only if you bring pizza and that one video game that you brought last time.” 

The two of them smile at each other before Jungwoo walks out of the office. He lets out a sigh of relief as more weight is lifted off his shoulders.


	3. { ♡ }

He half expects Lucas to still be at his apartment when he returns home. Thankfully he’s not and it doesn’t seem like anything is out of place, if anything, things look more in place than they were before. Jungwoo sighs happily as he flops on the bed, hair bouncing as he tilts his head to look at the clock. It’s almost nine and Doyoung said he’d be over at nine-thirty. It gives Jungwoo just enough time to take a shower and get ready for their sleepover. 

His fingers pull out his phone out of his pocket. He licks his lips as he finds Lucas’s number. He guesses the boy just forgot to text him but Jungwoo wants to thank him for cleaning up a bit. 

_[Jungwoo] Thanks for cleaning up a bit! I hope you’re feeling better and that everything is okay now!_

The phone is tossed behind him as he sits up, feet dragging himself to the shower. He hears his phone go off but he decides to read it after his shower. The heat of the water makes Jungwoo shiver. Drops of water stream down his face from his wet bangs. He leans his head back as he turns around, letting the water run down his back. As his hands run across his body, bubbly from the soap, he remembers how Doyoung held him last night. His hands were strong against his hips, gripping him tight enough to let him know that he was in charge. 

Was Ten right? Does Doyoung really like him? He guesses it wouldn’t really surprise him. Doyoung’s always been rather protective over him. Jungwoo even remembers the time he had gotten drunk at one of their work dinners. 

_“Jungwoo,” Doyoung hummed, he still had a drink in his hand and his shirt was almost half unbuttoned. “I don’t like your boyfriend.”_

_Jungwoo laughs, watching how Doyoung looks at him so seriously. “Why not?” He asks cutely, hands curling against his jaw as his elbows lean against the table._

_“He treats you like shit,” the other hisses, leaning closer to Jungwoo. “I could treat you so much better.” Doyoung tilts his head, eyes staring straight into Jungwoo’s. He’s positive if he said anything else, his lips would just fall onto his from the way he’s leaning so close. The thought makes Jungwoo laugh and he pulls Doyoung into a tight hug._

_“Thanks for looking out for me but I’m really okay! He treats me well. You know I’d tell you if he wasn’t.”_

Jungwoo puffs his cheeks out, letting his eyes close as he runs his fingers through his hair. He had dismissed the conversation as Doyoung being a concerned drunk. Yet maybe it was something more. Had Jungwoo really been that blind before? Surely he would have realized it. Maybe it was because he was happy. He was happy and he didn’t think anything of it. Jungwoo shakes his head, biting his lip. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Doyoung. Just, not particularly like that. Sure the boy was very handsome and Jungwoo has to admit that he’s had a few dreams about him. Maybe even thought about him once or twice during his private time. But he always pushed that to the back of his mind since he was in a relationship. The truth was, he wasn’t exactly sure what he thought of Doyoung. He wasn’t sure what his feelings were exactly for the boy and now thinking about it, he was even more confused. 

A simple white shirt and blue pajama pants were what he slipped into after drying himself. He fluffs his hair up once it’s dry, making sure it’s the normal amount of fluffiness before grabbing his phone and settling down on the couch to wait. He folds his legs up, chin resting on his knees and arms wrapping around them as he unlocks his phone. 

_[Lucas] Thanks for letting me stay! You really helped me out._

Jungwoo smiles, his fingers begin to type a reply when his phone vibrates and he sees another text bubble pop up in their chat. 

_[Lucas] I was wondering if I could see you again though. I’d like to get to know you._

His lips part and he licks them quickly before they curl into a smile. Hanging out with Lucas wouldn’t be a terrible idea, he thinks. The boy was nice and Jungwoo could always use more friends, especially ones that aren’t in the hospital. Not that there’s anything wrong with the friends he has. It’s just refreshing to talk about something else than work. Nice to hear about someone new’s interests. But as wonderful as that sounds, Jungwoo doesn’t really have time for outside friends. His life consists of being in the hospital every day for long hours and when he gets off, all he wants to do is relax and sleep. 

The sounds of the doorbell scares him and he nearly drops his phone. He slides off the couch, picking up his phone and erasing the few characters that had typed in the process of him being frightened. He pushes the lock on his phone and sets it on the coffee table. He slides across the floor, smiling as he opens the door to see Doyoung already in his pajamas and pizza box in hand. 

They settle down in front of the couch, pushing the coffee table out enough so they can stretch their legs comfortably. Jungwoo has a mouth full of pizza and his head is resting on Doyoung’s shoulder as he watches him attempt to beat a level in his video game. 

Doyoung is warm and despite eating several slices of pizza, he smells like aftershave and cologne. It’s comforting and Jungwoo finds himself nuzzling into his neck every once in a while. As Jungwoo tries the next level, Doyoung wraps his arms around his waist, pulling the younger boy on his lap. He’s concentrating hard but can feel Doyoung’s thumb rubbing against his hip. 

They’ve always been like this. Even when he was in a relationship, Doyoung’s been touchy. Not as direct as he’s been but they’ve definitely been clingy to each other. It was normal and it didn’t feel wrong. It didn’t make him uncomfortable, it made him feel safe. Maybe he did like Doyoung. 

It’s just past one when the both of them are asleep. Doyoung had fallen asleep on the couch, arm hanging off and legs sprawled out. The blanket that once covered him was on the floor in a pile, having been kicked off sometime in his sleep. Jungwoo was curled up in his bed, mouth open and drool slowly wetting his sheet. 

Jungwoo feels the bed gently dip down as he slightly wakes up. It’s only for a second and then he’s quickly back asleep. It’s only when he feels the bed under his head dip down that he wakes up. 

It takes his eyes a few minutes to adjust to the darkness. There’s light from the TV that they’ve forgotten to turn off and the dim lights from outside that allow some brightness into the room. He groans softly, realizing that it’s a person. He closes his eyes and licks his lips. 

“Mm, Doyoung, I told you that you could have slept in the bed earlier.” 

“I’m not Doyoung.” 

Jungwoo still isn’t actually awake. He’s lucid but still on the verge of sleep. He opens his eyes again, blinking a few times to realize that it isn’t Doyoung. A commercial on the TV makes the room brighter and Jungwoo can see the outline of Lucas’s face. It’s serious and he can make out the ends of his fangs pressing against his bottom lip. 

“Lucas,” Jungwoo whispers quietly. He tilts his head to see Doyoung still fast asleep on the couch. He’s turned on his stomach and he’s snoring softly. Jungwoo looks back up at Lucas, realizing that his arms are on either side of his head, palms pressing into the bed under him. “What are you doing here?” 

“I told you,” he says confidently, “I wanted to see you again.” 

Jungwoo bites his lip as he stares at Lucas more. His bright blue eyes are almost glowing in the dark. He smells of metal and some kind of shampoo. “This isn’t really how you make plans with people.” 

Lucas tilts his head, bangs falling to one side. Jungwoo watches the earring on his right ear tap against his neck. “I just had this urge to see you tonight. I _needed_ to see you again.” 

There’s slight fear that runs through Jungwoo now. He hasn’t felt uneasy about Lucas up until this point. But the way the boy is staring at him, the way he’s looking at him with some kind of desire, making him feel uncomfortable. He’s unsure what to do. He debates on waking Doyoung up. Sure he could do that but then he would have to explain the situation to him and he’d really rather not do that right now. 

Lucas leans down, breath hitting the corner of Jungwoo’s neck, right where it meets his shoulder. “You smell even better now that you’re sleepy.” 

The words make Jungwoo shiver, closing his eyes. He didn’t know what to do. He _really_ didn’t know what to do. Lucas could bite him and suck him dry right now. This could be it. This could be the end of his life. 

“I think I like you.” Lucas says it bluntly as he pulls away from Jungwoo’s neck. He stares at him for a few seconds before he looks behind him. Jungwoo watches as Doyoung stirrs in his sleep. He barely feels the bed move but when he looks back, Lucas is gone. 

Jungwoo feels like his heart is going to beat of his chest. He sits up in the bed, hands rubbing against his blanket. Doyoung is still asleep and Jungwoo wonders if he should go force himself on the couch with the boy. Instead, he gets out of bed, walking to the windows and making sure they’re locked. He walks to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water out of the fridge. It feels incredibly cold against the back of his throat. He takes several more sips before he sees his friend move again on the couch. 

Doyoung looks at him with sleepy eyes, arms stretching out as he leans his chin on the armrest of the couch. “You okay?” 

_No_. Is what he wants to say but instead he smiles, taking another sip of his water with his shaky hand. “Yeah, just thirsty.” 

Doyoung hums softly as he stretches again. He grabs the blanket off the floor, curling up under it as he falls asleep again. Jungwoo slides back into bed. He lays down slowly, hands rubbing at his face. 

 

 

 

 

“You seem a lot better,” Sicheng says as Jungwoo reads over a patients folder. “Happier.” 

“Thanks,” Jungwoo smiles, eyes meeting with the other’s. 

To be honest, he is doing better. It’s been a few days since he’s cried and the last time he really cried. Like cried for a good hour, cry. The kind that makes it hard to breath and creates hiccups. It wasn’t one that came unwanted either. He sat in his room, letting himself be sad. He talked to himself, a full conversation, but it felt so good to get out what he’s been wanting to say. 

He’s not completely over the situation. It’s hard to be when he loved someone with all the love he could give. Hard to accept that it’s going to be okay when he watched someone you trusted cheat on you in front of him. The worst part was that he didn’t even seem sorry. Not one thing he said made Jungwoo feel that he was sorry. Jungwoo might be soft-spoken when it comes to most things. He may be shy at times and not the loudest voice in the crowd but he was still a person. He still had feelings that could get broken. 

Jungwoo knows that he’ll probably be hurt from the situation for a while. It’s not something he can really control. He just has to let it run its course. Let the feelings take over when they come to him. Suppressing it isn’t going to let him cope with it. 

He hasn’t been completely alone either. The last couple days he’s spent lots of time with his friends. He finally made it to movie night at Sicheng’s house. He went out to have coffee with Jaehyun early in the morning before their shift. He even went to Ten’s dance recital yesterday with Doyoung. 

Lucas hasn’t been anywhere to be found either. He didn’t show up uninvited anywhere. No surprises in the middle of the night or anywhere else. No text messages or anything. Jungwoo did feel slightly guilty. He’s not sure why but the amount of times he’s brought up Lucas’s name in his phone is uncountable. Even though he hasn’t heard from the boy, it still didn’t keep him out of his mind. 

“Oh,” Sicheng says, looking up at him, “Did you hear that Donghyuck is becoming the pediatrics head?” 

Jungwoo tilts his head, biting his lip as he shakes his head. “No I didn’t hear.” 

Sicheng laughs, leaning back in his chair. “Apparently his dad paid the old leader some big money to give him the position.” 

Ten had said that it was rumored that the boy would become the head of the department. Jungwoo leans against the counter. “Isn’t he a bit young though? I feel like it should be someone with more experience.” 

“I mean, Jaehyun isn’t that old. He’s only twenty-eight.” 

Jungwoo puffs his cheeks out. “Yeah but Jaehyun’s dad was a doctor too and he had lots of practice when he was a kid.” 

“What are you guys talking about?” Ten says, dropping several folders down on the counter. 

“Donghyuck getting the position.” 

Ten’s eyes narrow and he pushes his glasses up on his face. “Just be glad it’s not Mark. Oh, by the way Jungwoo,” Ten pauses, looking at the boy with a smile. “I think Doyoung is going to ask you on a date.” 

Jungwoo’s heart skips a beat and he presses his hand on his chest. He’s acting slightly dramatic, gasping as he laughs. “Me?” Ten hits his shoulder gently as he laughs with Jungwoo. “Do you think it’s gonna be somewhere fun? Or maybe cool,” Jungwoo presses his fingers against his nose, attempting to pose cooly. 

“Wait are you going to say yes?” Sicheng says quickly, arms crossing over his chest. “I thought you didn’t like Doyoung like that.” 

It’s not that Jungwoo didn’t like him. He was just unsure still. He didn’t know what to feel. But there was no harm in joining Doyoung out on a date. Maybe it would help him realize what he’s feeling. He’s told Doyoung that he wasn’t sure of his feelings. He wasn’t trying to lead the other on. Thankfully, the boy was understanding and just asked him to go on a few dates with him to see how he felt. _I won’t be hurt if you don’t like me. It won’t change our friendship or anything so don’t worry about that._

“It’s a trial period,” Ten says as he rolls his eyes. 

Jungwoo laughs, leaning his elbow against the counter. He parts his lips to speak but his eyes latch onto something in the distance that makes his lips close quickly. His body straightens out and he feels his chest tighten. The smile disappears off his face and it becomes almost emotionless. 

Sitting in one of the waiting chairs is a boy that’s leaning back. His long legs slightly spread as his arms are resting against the backs of the chairs next to him. It isn’t long before he notices that Jungwoo is staring at him. A large grin makes his teeth show as he waves his hand at him. 

“Jungwoo?” Ten’s voice makes him snap out of his glare. He turns to look at his friend, mouth agape and fingers curling against the folders that are still on the counter. “Do you know that kid?” 

“Jungwoo, Lucas is here.” 

It’s a small voice from beside him. He turns to see Jisung staring at him. The boy blinks before he realizes what he’s said. He puts his hands over his mouth before walking away quickly, nearly bumping into one of the patients that is walking out of one of the rooms. 

“Lucas?” 

Jungwoo ignores Ten’s gaze and walks over to the boy. The smile on Lucas’s face gets wider the closer he gets. Jungwoo stops when he’s in front of him. He’s not too close but close enough to see the start of the dark circles under Lucas’s eyes. 

“It’s been a while, buttercup.” 

“What are you doing here?” Jungwoo says quietly, His fingers curl into his palm and he can feel the stare of his friends hit his back like knives. He needs to get Lucas out of here and fast. It’s odd for someone who said they didn’t want to be seen in the hospital to be flaunting himself along the chairs of the ER. 

Lucas hums, pushing his lips out. “I missed you. I wanna hang out.” 

“You can’t just come here. What if someone sees you? I thought you didn’t want that.” 

The other boy shrugs, sitting up in the chair. He pushes himself so he’s now standing in front of Jungwoo. The boy is slightly taller than him, just by a few centimeters. The way his hair is styled to the side adds maybe another two centimeters to the difference. 

Jungwoo sucks in a breath, biting at his lips as he looks away from Lucas, eyes peering down at his hand. “I get off at nine.” It comes off so soft and quiet that Jungwoo isn’t even sure he said it outloud. But apparently it was loud enough for Lucas to hear. 

The boy runs his fingers through Jungwoo’s bangs, tilting his head up so their eyes meet. “Perfect.” 

 

 

 

 

 

Lucas has the boy pressed up against the door to his apartment. He turned him around, pressing him against it as soon as Jungwoo opened the door. The boy has a different look in his eyes than he’s had before. It’s domineering and it makes Jungwoo lean his head back against the door, lips parted. 

They don’t say anything. Jungwoo’s waiting for Lucas to say something. He’s uncomfortable, Lucas’s grip against his wrists are too tight for his liking, but he doesn’t fight back. The buzzing in his pocket is his phone and the other boy looks down at it for a moment before his eyes meet back with Jungwoo’s. He knows it’s either Ten or Doyoung. Most likely Doyoung. 

Lucas tilts his head, he leans in close, way too close. Then there’s lips pressed against his neck. It’s so gentle. So much lighter than the fingers wrapped around his wrists and the knee placed between his thighs. 

“Lucas,” Jungwoo whispers, biting his lip. “Why are you doing this to me?” 

There’s silence again and Jungwoo can feel the soft breathing of the other boy against his neck. He doesn’t respond for a while. They stand in silence and Jungwoo feels like his knees are going to give out any second. 

“I told you,” the boy says softly, “I like you.” 

“You don’t even know me.” 

It comes out a bit harsher than Jungwoo intends it to but it’s only because Lucas’s fingers tighten around his wrists. How could the boy like him? They’ve only met twice and the second time didn’t truly count. And if Jungwoo was being honest, neither did the first since he was drunk and barely remembers it. 

None of it made any sense. Why was this happening to him? Why couldn’t he just live normally right now instead of having a vampire stalk him. He was finally becoming happy again. Things were going well at work and he was beginning to fall for Doyoung. He didn’t understand why Lucas had to come into his life and _stay._ It’d be one thing if he texted him or asked to hang out like a normal person, which he wasn’t even normal to begin with. But instead, he barged into his room in the middle of the night and now showed up at his work. 

“I’ve been watching you,” Lucas tilts his head away, eyes looking into Jungwoo’s again. “You’re really adorable.” 

Jungwoo watches as the vampire’s cheeks turn a gentle pink. Suddenly, the other looks almost vulnerable. His fingers loosen on Jungwoo’s wrist, eventually letting them go. The other boy takes a step back, no longer forcing Jungwoo to lean against the door. Jungwoo takes a breath, standing upright, fingers rubbing at his wrists. 

“Sorry. I just-” he pauses before biting at his lip. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.”

It wasn’t like Jungwoo to be mean. It takes something incredible to make Jungwoo mad. Even when everyone else gets mad, he’s normally the one to cheer everyone up. He’s always the smiling face that thinks of the positive in the situation. He doesn’t want to be mean to Lucas. He doesn’t feel mad. A little overwhelmed but not mad. Lucas hasn’t done anything to harm him, besides the tight grip a few minutes ago. He didn’t feel scared or threatened. 

“I don’t really know how to make friends. This is the only thing I could think of.” 

The confident Lucas that was at the hospital was now gone. It was a much softer, almost nervous Lucas. Jungwoo could tell that he was fond of the him. The vampire was really fond of Jungwoo. He wanted to get to know him and wanted to be his friend. 

“I don’t interact with humans much. To be honest, I’m really not allowed out of my house.” 

Jungwoo doesn’t respond. He walks slowly over the the couch, patting the spot next to him. Lucas looks at him with bright eyes and an even brighter smile. Instead of walking around the couch to sit down like Jungwoo did, the boy jumps over the back, nearly falling on top of Jungwoo. The vampire laughs and Jungwoo can’t help but laugh with him, his laugh being contagious. 

Lucas is loud. He’s loud and rather confident. The way he talks is dramatic and Jungwoo thinks his mouth is a bit large so it further adds to the dramatic way he talks. Even with all of that, Jungwoo thinks Lucas is fascinating to listen to. The boy’s voice was deep. Like drastically deeper than his. It made the hair on the back of his neck stand up with certain words that Lucas would say. He sits quietly though, only nodding his head when the other boy looks over at him, almost for confirmation that he’s listening. He has his knees bent, balls of his feet resting on the edge of the couch with toes wiggling off of it. His cheek is pressed against his knees, bangs flopped over the top of them. 

The vampire is young, three years younger than Jungwoo. “But I thought vampires have like a weird aging thing. Can’t you live for a long time?” 

The boy shakes his head. His bangs are loosened from their position and hang down slightly on his forehead from how much he’s run his hand through them. They wiggle slightly with every nod or shake that he does now. “That’s only if you’re born a vampire.” Jungwoo parts his lips, letting out a silent ‘ah.’ Lucas nods, licking his lips and leaning close to Jungwoo. “I was turned into one so I’m a little different.” 

It was all very interesting, honestly. Jungwoo had only ever heard of vampires in scary stories or horror movies. Of course Lucas didn’t sparkle like in that one American vampire movie. He wasn’t some blood-hungry monster, well he kind of was but very rarely. He was essentially a normal boy. Who drank blood and couldn’t go out in the sunlight. 

They didn’t talk about Lucas all night. The boy wanted to learn about Jungwoo. It wasn’t as exciting and Jungwoo felt his heart start to race when Lucas asked him to tell him about himself. Jungwoo hated talking about himself. He hated it. He hated to think about memories, even the good ones. It made him nervous. Especially when he was comparing it to Lucas. He was cool, he was mysterious, he was a vampire. But Jungwoo didn’t live an exciting life. He grew up normally with a happy family. He’s the only offspring and didn’t have much friends growing up since he was too nervous to branch out and make friends. Lucas even called it ironic that Jungwoo was a doctor considering his nervous personality. 

“I really like helping people though. I like being the one that made them better.” 

It was the most endearing part about Jungwoo. He hated caring for himself and so he wanted to care for others. Of course it’s not like Jungwoo doesn’t take care of himself. He treats himself to sweets and takes nice bubble baths sometimes. He just would rather give others attention. The boy likes to be pampered by others too. He likes gifts and cuddles and any kind of affection that can be given to him. Jungwoo was really, well, cute. At least that’s what all his friends call him, even Jaehyun who tries to act like he’s not affected by Jungwoo’s charms. 

Jungwoo ends up nodding off during some point in Lucas’s rant about how much he misses human food. He had curled up against the couch, cheek resting on the back cushion as he listened to Lucas. Jungwoo always slept nicely. He was a light sleeper but he didn’t make much noise or move around too much. He only would if he was restless and that was rare lately. 

Brown eyes flutter open when he feels himself being picked up though. Jungwoo blinks slowly, yawning as he looks at Lucas who is staring at him. 

“Oh,” he says smiling nervously, “I didn’t think you would wake up. I’m sorry, I just wanted to move you to your bed.” 

It wasn’t like Jungwoo was exactly heavy but Lucas made him feel like he was a feather. The boy didn’t seem like he was struggling one bit. His arm under Jungwoo’s back was comfortable and so was the one under his knees.

“Thank you,” Jungwoo says with a smile, eyes curling into crescents as he looks up at Lucas. 

“Now that you’re awake though, I wouldn’t feel bad doing this-” Lucas laughs as he lifts up Jungwoo above his bed, he lets the boy drop a few centimeters before catching him. Jungwoo gasps, hands grabbing onto Lucas’s shoulders as he feels himself fall. There’s pure terror in his face but Lucas thinks it’s the funniest thing. “I’m just kidding. I wouldn’t do that to you.” 

Jungwoo laughs softly, putting his hand on his chest as he settles down in his bed. “That scared me so much,” he says breathlessly. 

“Sorry,” Lucas says, smile still radiating on his lips. “But I guess I should be going though. I don’t want to keep you up too long.” The boy rubs the back of his neck as he looks at the time. It’s only barely past midnight but Jungwoo is tired from his day at work and he has to get up in less than eight hours. “It was really nice hanging out with you.” 

Jungwoo looks up at Lucas. He seems a little more confident now, not as shy and flustered as he did when he first confessed to wanting to hang out with Jungwoo. But he was right. It was actually really nice. Lucas has such a different personality from him. Jungwoo is soft spoken and cute where as Lucas was loud and cool. It’s not that Lucas wasn’t cute because some of the things he said were _definitely_ cute. He just wasn’t the innocent, pretty cute that Jungwoo was. Lucas was cute because of how passionately he talked about things and how when it came to admitting wants or feelings, Lucas blushed and got quiet. 

Lucas was really attractive, Jungwoo thinks as he looks up at him. His eyes were an absolutely gorgeous almond shape and the color, ugh, Jungwoo feels his fingers twitch everytime he looks at them. His hair was always styled nicely, most of the time his bangs pushed up and to the side. It was still that dirty blond with roots that could be seen a mile away. The boy’s ears stuck out just the slightest and did Jungwoo really need to mention his jawline again?

The boy was right though. It was nice hanging out with him. As weird as the whole situation is, it didn’t make Jungwoo feel weird. Hanging out with Lucas almost felt natural in a way. Jungwoo couldn’t explain it. Maybe it was some kind of weird vampire magic that he had Jungwoo under but it felt like he was hanging out with a good friend. Lucas was kind too. He got too rowdy at times but he would ask Jungwoo if he was okay or if he needed a drink every now and again. There was such a young and fresh vibe that came off of him that was refreshing. 

“It was a lot of fun.” Jungwoo nods, tilting his head as he smiles. His legs swing, feet gently hitting Lucas’s legs as he smiles. 

“Do you think we can hang out again then?” 

“I would really like that.” Jungwoo licks his lips, nodding even faster. His bangs hit against his forehead and he laughs as they tickle him slightly. “Just don’t show up at the hospital again, okay? I don’t think that’s a good place for you.” Jungwoo frowns, thinking of all the patients that are injured. There are patients bleeding heavily, doctors covered in blood, and not to mention several rooms full of spare blood that Lucas could just go into at any time. 

“I’m not a baby vampire,” Lucas huffs, “I can control myself, you know.” The boy rolls his eyes and it makes Jungwoo laugh. “But your wish is my command, buttercup.” 

Jungwoo blushes at the nickname, not sure why Lucas is calling him that. “Let’s meet at a cafe or something. I know a really good one with this cake that is so good!” 

Lucas tilts his head, laughing as he rubs his cheek. “Alright, let’s do it.” He turns around, walking towards the door. He looks back at Jungwoo and smile, waving at him. “I’ll text you.” 

Jungwoo waits for the door to shut before he groans, rolling onto his stomach and planting his face in the pillow. He groans again, this time kicking his feet against the bed. His body turns around, back flush against his sheets and eyes looking up at his ceiling. What was he doing? What the _hell_ was he doing?


	4. { ☺ }

A small squeal leaves Jungwoo’s mouth as he settles into the movie theater seat next to Doyoung. They had picked a scary movie, much to Jungwoo’s displeasure. Yet Doyoung promised him that he would hold him and cover his eyes if it got too scary. 

Just as Ten had predicted, Doyoung did ask him on a date. It came in a typical Doyoung way. He had left Jungwoo a bag of his favorite cookies in his locket. On the bag was a small note, asking if he would like to go see a movie with him. The note made Jungwoo smile like a school girl. He was even reluctant to eat the cookies because he wanted to keep the note as preserved as possible. 

Now, they were seated in the back of the theater, large popcorn and drink between them. Jungwoo had already eaten a good amount of the snacks before they even made it to the theater. He had taken several handfuls while Doyoung was going to the bathroom. Thankfully the black haired boy seemed to be eating as much as he was. 

The movie itself wasn’t terrible, by Jungwoo’s standards. It was still very scary and he found himself nuzzling against Doyoung’s shoulder for most of it, only barely tilting his head to peek at the screen. It was okay with Doyoung there though. He made him feel safe. His arm was wrapped around his shoulders, holding him close. Occasionally he would put his hand on Jungwoo’s thigh, pulling him closer when the boy got too far away. 

Part of him feels guilty as they leave the theater. Jungwoo feels his phone buzz and he tugs it out, hoping it wasn’t another text message from Ten. He had already threatened Jisung not to say anything, no matter how much Ten bothered him. Jungwoo wasn’t sure exactly how well that would go considering Ten can be kind of, aggressive, especially when it came to getting what he wanted. 

_[Lucas] Would you be up for going out tomorrow night? The weather is going to be a little warmer so it should be nice out!_

Jungwoo feels his lips curl into a smile. The two had been talking rather frequently since the night they hung out. Lucas would text Jungwoo all night while he was sleeping, leaving him cute messages and even sending him selfies of him doing silly faces. The boy was growing on him. 

“Jungwoo?”

The boy tilts his head, looking over at Doyoung, he has a smile on his face and laughs softly. “Did you hear me?” 

Jungwoo shakes his head, quickly texting Lucas back. 

_[Jungwoo] Let’s do that! I’ll send you the address when I get home and we can meet at nine._

“I asked if you wanted to come over?” 

Jungwoo pushes his phone in his pocket, eyes wandering back up to Doyoung. He nods, arms wrapping around Doyoung’s arm. “I haven’t been to your house in forever, Usagi.” 

The black haired boy groans, head leaning back and fingers pinching at his nose. “You’re lucky you’re being cute.” 

The subway ride to Doyoung’s apartment was quick. He lives only minutes away from the theater. They probably didn’t even need to take the subway but Jungwoo didn’t feel like walking. Besides, it was still really cold out, the early March air still feeling like the dead of winter. 

Doyoung’s apartment was slightly bigger than Jungwoo’s. It was more properly decorated too. There were bookshelves full of movies, games, and manga books. Pictures lined the wall above Doyoung’s bed. There were ones of him and Jungwoo along with his other friends. There were pictures of his parents and his brother, even of him when he was younger. It was something that Jungwoo always loved looking at when he came to Doyoung’s apartment. 

It doesn’t take long for the two of them to lie on the couch together. Doyoung puts on a music show and he was singing along to every song he knew, which was almost every single one that came on. At one point though, Doyoung stands up off the couch, grabbing Jungwoo’s arms. He pulls the boy up and begins dancing with him. It’s not anything serious. Doyoung begins mimicking one of the girl groups on the tv and Jungwoo joins in, failing miserably. 

The longer they dance, the more they get into it. They’re both singing now and dancing almost in sync. Jungwoo can’t help but laugh because Doyoung gets so serious when he dances and sings. 

“Jungwoo,” Doyoung says loudly, having to yell since he turned up the sound on the tv. 

The boy hums, tilting his head as he looks at his friend. Before he can even register what’s happening, Doyoung has him pressed against his chest and his lips are on his. The elder wraps his arms around Jungwoo, hands resting just above his butt. Jungwoo doesn’t know what to do. He feels his heart begin to freak out and he grips at Doyoung’s arms. 

The kiss continues and Jungwoo finds himself melting into Doyoung’s arms. The black haired boy has his hands cupping Jungwoo’s face now and Jungwoo has his arms draped over Doyoung’s shoulders. The elder is the one to intensify the kiss. His tongue pushes at Jungwoo’s lips, patiently waiting for Jungwoo to open his mouth. The boy does and the kiss because slightly more desperate. 

Doyoung’s lips are soft. His arms are warm and he always smells so good. They’ve had small pecks before during truth or dare games but nothing like this. This was Doyoung letting Jungwoo know that he wanted more. He wanted to go out with him. Doyoung wanted to be more than what they have been for several years. 

The older boy is the one to pull away first. His eyes are almost glazed over and he licks at his lips before laughing softly. “I’m sorry if that was too much.” Jungwoo doesn’t say anything. He’s not sure if he can right now. His lips are slightly swollen from how long they’ve kissed. His cheeks are bright red and he’s a little dizzy. “I really like you, Jungwoo. I’m sure you already know that but,” Doyoung shrugs and Jungwoo watches as the other’s cheeks turn just as red as his. “I feel like I need to tell you in person.” 

Jungwoo bites his lip. He expected the confession, he did. Doyoung had already practically told him that he liked him but he had never exactly said it. His heart is still beating too fast and he still doesn’t know how to respond. 

“I know it might be too soon,” Doyoung says, staring at Jungwoo with big eyes. “I know you’re still recovering.” 

Right. He was. It was getting a lot better. There were less miserable days, less of the days he was stuck in his head. Less of the days he spent looking at pictures of him and his ex-boyfriend and crying about it. But broken hearts take time to mend. Especially for Jungwoo. His anxiety and overthinking made things a lot harder. His mind might be getting better but his heart will take time to heal. Time that Jungwoo can’t tell yet. 

It doesn't feel wrong though. It’s not like he doesn’t like Doyoung. The elder was handsome, especially with his black hair recently. He was kind and always took care of Jungwoo in every possible way. If anyone knew Jungwoo the best, it was Doyoung. But even with all that, Jungwoo wasn’t sure if he had those kinds of feelings for the boy. It seemed right. It seemed like he should. They were practically dating just without the sexual part, and kissing, kind of. 

Part of him wanted to like Doyoung. He wanted to say that he liked him too and wanted to go out. But Jungwoo didn’t want to hurt Doyoung. That was the last thing he wanted to do. And he didn’t want to go into a relationship when he wasn’t fully committed. Because when Jungwoo falls in love, he falls. Literally stumbles face first into it. The feelings overwhelm him and he becomes almost obsessed in a way. If he was going to be with Doyoung, he wanted to make sure that he could love him in a way he deserved. 

“You don’t have to answer. I’ll wait as long as you need.” 

Jungwoo realizes that he’s been staring at Doyoung’s chest for several minutes now, deep in his thoughts. He looks up at the boy, smiling softly as he runs his hands down his chest, fingers gripping at his shirt. Maybe he just needed a bit more time. 

 

 

 

 

Jungwoo knows the question is coming. He knows it when he sees Ten in the office, feet up on the desk and phone in hand, fingers typing quickly. Jungwoo is dreading it so much that he turns around right away, realizing he’s walking into very dangerous water. 

“Ah! Jungwoo.” 

The boy whines, he sucks in a breath before turning to look at Ten. He watches as he stumbles out of his chair and starts making his way towards him. Jungwoo laughs awkwardly, walking out of the office quickly. “Sorry! I forgot something!” 

“Nope,” Ten says quickly, arms wrapping around the boy and pulling him back into the office. He holds him in a hug until he pushes him down in a chair. “Spit it out.” 

The conversation had been successfully avoided for a few days. Ten had gone on vacation and then when he came back Jungwoo had the day off. He also hadn’t answered the question in the thousand text messages that Ten had sent him. Jungwoo was a master at getting out of conversations. Unfortunately, he knew he wasn’t going to get out of it this time. It didn’t hurt to try though. 

“What, Tennie?” Jungwoo smiles brightly, legs swinging and fingers curled up cutely next to his cheeks. 

Ten groans, rolling his eyes as he crosses his arms. “Don’t you dare. It’s not gonna work. Just tell me who Lucas is.” 

Jungwoo shakes his head, pouting his lips. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“Don’t make me torture Jisung anymore than I have already.” 

The thought of Ten bothering Jisung makes Jungwoo cringe. He can’t imagine the things he had done to the boy. Jungwoo imagines Ten tying him up in a chair and demanding he tell him who Lucas is. He probably threatened his career or even worse, stared at him with cute eyes that would scare anyone. But it couldn’t have been that bad since Jisung didn’t crack. 

“Why do you wanna know so bad?” Jungwoo asks stupidly. He knows the answer. Ten is a nosy brat who doesn’t like secrets. It also probably has something to do with the fact that Jungwoo rarely ever makes any new friends. Definitely not ones that aren’t working in the hospital. 

“Ten, stop harassing Jungwoo.” 

Jungwoo takes a breath of relief when he sees Jaehyun walk in. He slumps in the chair before looking over at Ten, sticking his tongue out. The other boy glares at him and mouths something that Jungwoo can’t read. He knows the victory won’t last for long. Ten will be stalking him out and pounce any chance he gets. The other boy crosses his arms and walks out of the office dramatically. 

“What’s he on about now?” Jaehyun laughs, sitting down across from Jungwoo. 

The boy debates whether or not he should tell Jaehyun. The elder was excellent at staying out of their drama. Mostly because he wasn’t around them often, only truly meeting up with them during meetings and lunch. It was probably better that way considering that most of their drama is silly things that don’t even matter. Jungwoo doesn’t even know if he could call it drama. It honestly was just Ten bitching about things and Doyoung yelling at him. 

“It’s nothing really,” Jungwoo says, hands pressed together between his thighs, he leans forward, chin resting against the table. “I-” 

Jaehyun stares at him before smiling, hand running through Jungwoo’s hair. “Is it about that boy?” 

Jungwoo’s eyes widen and he sits up, biting his lip gently. “How did you know?” 

“Jisung told me.” So Jisung wasn’t totally innocent after all. But if he was going to tell anyone, Jungwoo was glad that it was Jaehyun. “Don’t worry, I won’t say anything, obviously. But if you don’t mind me asking, who is he?” 

“He’s just a friend,” Jungwoo admits, nodding quickly. “I took care of him that night and then he took care of me in the morning. We’re getting to know each other.” 

“I’m glad that you’re making friends again.” 

_Again._ Jungwoo guesses it has been a while. Really since he met his ex-boyfriend. Since then he hadn’t found a reason to go out and make friends. He had his boyfriend, he had his work friends, he didn’t need anything else. 

“I think he’ll be good for you.” Jaehyun smiles, tapping his fingers against the table softly. “I saw the way he looked at you when he came in.” He pauses, finger wiggling at Jungwoo. “I also saw the way you looked at him.” 

Jungwoo feels his cheeks heat up. He whines, hands patting at his face. Jaehyun was like a father figure to them. One that made terrible jokes and was overly protective of them. Even though his words were embarrassing, they were endearing as well. 

“Just remember to do what’s right for you. I know the other two will be pressuring you once they find out.” Jaehyun stands up, chair squeaking against the floor. He stretches his arms up, groaning softly as he yawns. “Anyways,” he pauses, hand pulling his phone out as he checks the time. “I have a seminar today so I won’t be around until after lunch. Text me if you need anything.” The boy winks and snaps his finger at him, the snap ending in a small heart. He laughs, waving as he walks out of the office. 

Jungwoo groans, face falling against the table. 

 

 

 

 

Lucas is seated inside the cafe when Jungwoo steps inside. He’s wearing an oversized sweater with an equally oversized jacket on top. His cheeks and nose are pink from the cold. Even though Lucas had said it was going to be warmer, it was still too cold for Jungwoo’s liking. Jungwoo spots the boy easily. He’s wearing a black button up shirt with a plaid jacket on top. Jungwoo suddenly feels like he’s underdressed. 

“Jungwoo!” 

The boy smiles at him when he sees Jungwoo walking towards him. He waves his hand high in the air and waves it quickly. Jungwoo can see the people around the cafe look up at him and probably wonder why he’s being so loud. It’s rather cute though, seeing the boy so excited to see him. 

“Hi,” Jungwoo says softly, smiling as he sits down across from him. “I’m sorry I’m so-” Jungwoo puffs his cheeks out, tugging at his sweater. 

“No, you look cute!” There he goes again, being loud. “I ordered us coffee, I hope mocha is okay with you. I didn’t know what to get you but I like mocha so I thought maybe you would too.” 

“Mocha is actually my favorite.” 

Halfway through their coffee, Jungwoo realizes that his face has been warm the entire time. He hasn’t taken his eyes off of Lucas since they sat down. The other is off ranting about something that Jungwoo has gotten lost about. He stopped listening after Lucas got whipped cream on his nose from the way he was drinking his coffee. 

Lucas was still just as handsome, maybe even more now that he could see him in proper lighting. The way he talked was still just as intriguing as before. His deep voice was making Jungwoo’s heart speed up. 

Jungwoo is left alone while Lucas goes to the bathroom. He finishes the rest of his coffee, most of it being cold already. There’s a good amount of chocolate still left on the bottom that makes him smile when he takes his last couple of sips. His eyes look upwards when he sees Lucas come back, one piece of cake in hand. 

“You remembered?” Jungwoo smiles, hands clapping together quickly. It was the cake that he had mentioned to Lucas before. It was a chocolate cake that had mint icing in the middle. “Oh, it looks so good.” He groans out, leaning towards the piece of cake that Lucas had set in the middle. “Thank you, you didn’t have to.” 

“It’s no problem, really.” Lucas says. Jungwoo watches the way the boy’s cheeks turn a soft pink as he hands Jungwoo a fork. “You said it was really good so I wanted to treat you.” 

It was delicious. The chocolate part was moist and the flavor came through extremely well. The mint icing was even better. It had chocolate chips in it and it was so creamy and smooth that it made Jungwoo shiver in delight. He gets halfway through the cake before he realizes that Lucas hasn’t taken a single bite. 

“Eat some!” he says quickly, holding the fork out to Lucas. 

The boy shakes his head, laughing softly. “I’m fine. I can’t really taste human food so I don’t want it to go to waste.” 

Jungwoo’s lips purse out into a pout. “Oh, but you drank the coffee!” 

Lucas laughs, leaning back in his chair, hands behind his head. “Yeah but it was just for the caffeine. But it’s really okay! Please enjoy it!” 

They leave the cafe right after eleven. Jungwoo feels his cheeks and nose turn red again from the cold very shortly after they start walking. Lucas quickly puts his arm around the boy, pulling him closer, flush against him. It’s warm, not as warm as Jungwoo would like but it’s better than the cold air outside hugging him. 

Neither of them say anything for most of the walk home. Jungwoo is nuzzled into Lucas’s shoulder and the other boy’s hand has travelled down to his hip, rubbing it gently as they walk. 

“Can I ask a favor of you?” Jungwoo hums sleepily, nodding as he looks up at Lucas. The boy’s cheeks are red as well and Jungwoo watches the way his breath comes out in puffs of white while he talks. “It’s-,” he pauses again before tightening his grip on Jungwoo’s hip. “Can I, um, you know..” Lucas doesn’t say anything else before he runs his hand up Jungwoo’s side, fingers gently tracing over his neck. “You just smell really good all the time and I’m sorry if it’s weird. You don’t have to say yes, I totally understand if you say no, I mean it’s really weird and we just met not too long ago and-” 

“Yes.” Jungwoo says flatly, eyes blinking up at Lucas. 

He can see the nervousness on his face. It turns to relief as he hugs Jungwoo tightly. He clears his throat and pulls away slightly. “I promise I won’t hurt you, at least, not more than it should hurt.”

The rest of the way back to Jungwoo’s apartment is quiet. He can tell that Lucas is nervous by the way he keeps licking his lips and taking deep breaths. Jungwoo is equally as nervous. His heart is beating faster and he plays with the edge of Lucas’s jacket sleeve. He didn’t think that Lucas would ever ask a question like that. Jungwoo would feel bad if he said no. It’s not like Lucas was going to hurt him. He knew that. He knew that before the boy even said it out loud. 

There’s a tiny feeling of excitement as well. What would it feel like? What would Lucas be like after it? Jungwoo had so many questions but he was too nervous to ask. Besides, he wasn’t sure that Lucas would even have the answer. 

“Get comfortable. I want you to be as calm as possible.” 

The words are sweet as they shut the door behind him. Jungwoo nods silently, feet taking him to the couch. He settles down slowly, blanket being pulled over his lap. The younger boy has his jacket off when he sits down next to Jungwoo. He stares at him with wide eyes, licking his lips. 

“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asks slowly, “I really won’t be hurt if you say no. I promise.” 

Jungwoo smiles, letting out a small laugh. “I’m sure. I trust you.” 

Lucas’s face lights up again, fingers gently grabbing at Jungwoo’s wrist. “I’ll do it here. It’ll be less painful and the mark won’t be as bad.” Lucas rubs his fingers against Jungwoo’s skin slowly. “Please let me know if it hurts too much. I really don’t want to hurt you.” 

“The more you talk, the more time I have to change my mind,” Jungwoo teases, tongue sticking out just slightly.

The younger one doesn’t say anything else and he pulls Jungwoo’s wrist up to his mouth. Jungwoo is unsure if he wants to watch but he opts to close his eyes when he feels Lucas’s fangs press into his skin. There’s not exact words to describe how it feels. It burns slightly, almost like he’s being burned gently from the inside. Yet there’s a soothing effect at the same time. 

Jungwoo leans back against the couch, careful not to move his wrist. Besides the feeling coming from where Lucas is biting, he feels fine otherwise. It’s not dramatic or painful like he thought. Maybe if Lucas was biting somewhere else it would hurt more, but it really barely hurts at all. 

However the more Lucas sucks, the more Jungwoo feels. He doesn’t know how long it’s been but he starts to feel slightly dizzy. He has to close his eyes and he feels his heart begin to speed up, slightly worried. But Lucas promised he’d behave. Promise he wouldn’t suck him dry. _‘I’m not a baby vampire, I can control myself.’_ Jungwoo presses his lips together, nodding to himself slowly as he remembers the boy’s words. Then Jungwoo remembers about how much blood he drank when he was in the hospital that one night and the worry comes right back in him. 

It’s almost as if Lucas can feel that the other boy is freaking out. He pulls his fangs out slowly and Jungwoo winces at the stinging. Brown eyes open as he watches Lucas lick at his skin gently. There’s two small marks on his pale skin. They’re not bleeding but they are very red and Jungwoo wonders if he’ll have to tend to them or if he can leave them to heal on their own. 

Lucas looks at him with glazed over eyes and rosy cheeks. His lips are red, a small bit of blood pooled around the corner of his mouth. “Are you okay?” 

Jungwoo nods, head still leaning back against the couch. The dizziness is worse and he suddenly thinks he might pass out. His eyes close, hoping to relieve some of the feeling. Instead, he gets a new feeling. It’s a gentle kiss against his forehead. Jungwoo opens his eyes to watch Lucas hover over him. He turns his gaze down to Jungwoo, leaning in closer. Their noses touch for a moment before Jungwoo watches Lucas’s eyes close and then their lips meet. 

The younger boy has a very distinct metal taste on his lips but Jungwoo doesn’t truly mind. He probably should considering it’s his own blood but it doesn’t bother him. The kiss is so soft and gentle that Jungwoo isn’t even sure he could call it one. But once Lucas realizes that Jungwoo isn’t fighting back, he begins to kiss him harder. Lucas’s hand cups Jungwoo’s cheek and, wow, Jungwoo suddenly realizes how big Lucas’s hand is. It covers nearly his whole side of his face. It’s warm and inviting though, and rather soft. 

The kiss doesn’t get any harder and Lucas pulls away after a minute, giving Jungwoo’s lips another small peck before looking at him. “I know we just met not too long ago but I meant it when I said I liked you.” The boy’s cheeks are even a brighter shade of pink and his eyes are wide as he stares at Jungwoo. “I don’t expect you to like me back. I’m not really someone you want to get involved in.” 

“Why not?” Jungwoo frowns, head tilting slightly. Lucas didn’t seem like a bad person. He wasn’t a bad person to Jungwoo. He was caring and kind. 

“It would just be hard,” Lucas says sadly. “I can’t go out during the day. I have to feed everyday, sometimes multiple times. I’m not exactly welcomed in the human world either. I’m on more watch lists than I can count.” The boy sighs, moving away from Jungwoo and back to where he was seated earlier. “I’m not trying to make you feel bad for me or anything. I just want you to know that if you do like me, it’s not going to be a normal relationship. It’s something to keep in mind.” Lucas’s fingers play with the blanket that’s covering Jungwoo’s lap. “I don’t want to hurt you or put you in any danger but I-, I really do like you.” 

Jungwoo stares at Lucas, lips parted and fingers curled into his palm. Now he had a problem. Now he had a choice he had to make. Jungwoo just didn’t know what choice he should make. Because staring at Lucas made him realize he did like the boy. The last few days he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him. He felt his heart flutter when he would get a text from him. Yet it did the same for Doyoung too. 

The only thing Jungwoo _was_ sure of, is that he didn’t want to be hurt again. 

 

 

 

 

The decision Jungwoo has to make hasn’t gotten any easier. It’s only gotten worse. He knows he’s digging himself into a hole. He knows he’s making it harder. But to feel liked again was something that he’s been missing. It felt so good. It was different than being liked by friends. The feeling was deeper and Jungwoo craved that feeling. He craved the fact that someone needed him. Someone couldn’t go a day without texting him or seeing him. 

He went out on several more dates with Doyoung. All of them were wonderful. The boy had surprised Jungwoo with flowers one morning when they were meeting for coffee. The other time, he had given him a teddy bear that he had won while they were out shopping. They kissed during every date. It never went further but Doyoung never asked it to go any further. 

His time with Lucas was similar. They went on dates, one including to an indoor amusement park. It was the younger one’s first time ever going to an amusement park before, for obvious reasons. They had the most fun that Jungwoo has had in a while. Lucas even said it’s the most fun he’s had in his life. They rode almost every ride, got pictures together, and ate a ton of junk food (well Jungwoo ate it while Lucas watched). The boy also came over almost every night, or early morning, to feed. Jungwoo had become his favorite thing to feed on. He tried to do it in places that wouldn’t be too obvious. He couldn’t do it in the same spot every time considering how often he was feeding. The experience had become enjoyable for Jungwoo. He liked the feeling of Lucas’s fangs piercing his skin. The way Lucas looked after was also something that made Jungwoo feel all warm and fuzzy inside. 

The only thing was, he still didn’t know who to pick. Even after the dates, his heart was still torn. Doyoung had been with him through everything. He was his absolute best friend. But Lucas had come into his life so fast and quickly became someone Jungwoo couldn’t stop thinking about. He couldn’t let this go on forever though. He had to make a decision. Jungwoo just really, really, didn’t know what to do. All he wanted to do was keep both of them. That wasn’t truly an option though. 

Jungwoo would make a decision soon. Tonight he had a dinner with his group and he was going to try and enjoy it as much as possible. He normally dreaded group dinners because of a number of things. One, Ten and Doyoung always end up fighting. Two, Jaehyun normally drinks way, way too much. Finally, Sicheng was always on his phone texting his girlfriend and Jisung would always sit and stare like an abandoned puppy. This time would most likely be no different. 

“I’d like to dedicate this drink to Jungwoo,” Doyoung says loudly, holding his shot glass up high. Jungwoo feels his cheeks heat up as he watches his friend who was already tipsy. “He’s been through so much this year and I’m so proud of him for getting through it.” 

His cheeks heat up even more when he raises his glass to press together with everyone else's. The others cheer loudly, hands clapping after they’ve finished their shots. They get even louder when Doyoung grabs Jungwoo’s cheeks, pulling him closer. Their lips press together quickly and Jungwoo melts into the kiss. It doesn’t last long and when Doyoung pulls away, Jungwoo watches as his face turns a bright red. 

It’s quarter past midnight when Jungwoo begins to put his jacket on. Jisung was helping carry Jaehyun with Sicheng, both of them slightly struggling to carry the passed out leader. Jaehyun was always like this. He was serious at work yet when they went out to eat or even to karaoke, he acted like he was as old as Jungwoo himself. It was rather funny to watch the real Jaehyun come out. Ten had left before them after having a fight with Sicheng about something Jungwoo only paid half attention to. And Jungwoo was now being taken by the hand out of the restaurant by Doyoung. 

They don’t even make it into the apartment before Doyoung starts kissing Jungwoo again. Jungwoo has to open the door, eyes half open and fingers stumbling over the numbers. This was a different Doyoung than he was used to. It was most likely the alcohol making him more aggressive. It wasn’t bad though, Jungwoo didn’t mind at all. 

“Jungwoo,” Doyoung says in between kisses. “I really want you.” 

At this point, Doyoung already had his hand up Jungwoo’s sweater. His lips are swollen from how long they’ve kissed and Doyoung looks really, really hot. Instead of answering with a ‘yes,’ Jungwoo just nods his head stupidly. It’s not that he doesn’t want it. He does. He wants it, especially right now. It’s been so long since he’s been touched like Doyoung is touching him right now. It feels amazing and Jungwoo even lets out a small noise when the elder tugs off his shirt. 

Jungwoo is quickly pushed on the bed, body bounces slightly as Doyoung climbs on the bed. The boy hovers over him, arms tugging off his shirt. Jungwoo can tell that Doyoung has been working out. It makes him bite his lip and tilt his head. He knows his cheeks are bright pink but so are Doyoung’s. Jungwoo’s fingers reach out, running down the elders stomach slowly. 

“What are all these marks?” Doyoung asks, hand reaching down to lead Jungwoo’s to his crotch. 

_Oh._ Jungwoo didn’t think about that. He swallows, fingers playing at the zipper on Doyoung’s pants. He tilts his head, back arching up slightly as the black haired boy runs his finger along his nipple. “I’ve been letting Jisung practice putting in IV’s and things.” It’s honestly a very terrible excuse. The ones on his wrists might be okay for that explanation but the ones at the base of his neck don’t make any sense. He’s hoping that Doyoung just brushes it off and doesn’t ask anymore questions about it because he’s really not sure what other excuse he could come up with.

Thankfully Doyoung does just that. He leans down, lips meeting with Jungwoo’s quickly. His hand runs down his stomach, making Jungwoo arch his back up into his touch. It isn’t long before Doyoung has his hand down Jungwoo’s pants. The younger can’t help but moan. Jungwoo has played with himself only a few times since his ex-boyfriend. Like he said before, he wasn’t really into treating himself, he’d much rather be in the hands of someone else. Doyoung was one of those people that he sometimes imagined. He had always sometimes thought of him, even when he was in a relationship. The boy just had so much power over him. He knew exactly what to say and how to make the boy feel like he was going to burst from how much he was blushing. 

“You’re just as pretty as I thought you’d be.” Doyoung whispers against his neck, hand wrapped around his dick, moving up and down slowly. 

They had seen each other in their underwear before. It wasn’t as though Doyoung hasn’t seen him practically naked. But that’s not what he’s referring to. Jungwoo knows he’s referring to how his skin is tinted bright pink, all the way to his chest. His hair is messy and his lips are wet from how much they’ve kissed. 

Doyoung moves his hand out of Jungwoo’s pants, making the boy whine softly. Jungwoo watches as Doyoung takes off his own pants, leaving him in his black underwear, bulge pressing against the fabric. Jungwoo parts his lips, letting out a whimper. The elder boy lifts up Jungwoo’s hips, pulling his pants and underwear off quickly. He lets out a gasp when he’s turned on his stomach, hips being pulled up. Doyoung’s teeth bite into his ass and Jungwoo’s fingers curl into his sheets, tugging at them softly. 

As Doyoung lays a loud slap on Jungwoo’s ass, Jungwoo reaches towards his nightstand. His fingers fumble to pull the drawer open. He can only barely get the small bottle of lube out before Doyoung grabs it from him, laughing softly at the way he’s pushing back against Doyoung. 

“Impatient,” the boy says as he runs his fingers up the back of Jungwoo’s thigh. “I don’t want to hurt you so let me stretch you,” Doyoung hums. 

Even with the alcohol and desire running through the elder one, he’s still worried about hurting Jungwoo. It makes Jungwoo bury his face into the pillow, biting at his lip. Doyoung’s finger feels cold and wet when he presses it into him. Jungwoo moans out softly, back arching and legs spreading. He knows he’s tight. It’s been months now since he’s had anything in him. Even with just one finger in him, he feels like he’s on top of the world. Two more fingers and Jungwoo attempts to grind his hips against the bed. Doyoung is strict though and holds his hips up with his free hand. 

Doyoung goes faster and harder, shoving his three fingers in all the way. Jungwoo tilts his head back, moaning loudly as he rocks back against the elder’s fingers. He looks back at the boy, Doyoung’s eyelids are heavy and his whole face is flushed. His bottom lip is sucked into his mouth, teeth biting on it hard. The sight makes Jungwoo tighten up and oh, oh he thought he’d last longer than this. Jungwoo feels his thighs tremble as he cums. Doyoung’s fingers slow down but only slightly, still thrusting them all the way in and even curling them up slightly. 

“Wow,” Doyoung says in a moan. “You’re so hot.” 

Jungwoo feels like he can’t breathe, in a good way. He knows he looks a wreck. His ass is wet and so is the back of his thighs from the lube. His stomach is coated in his cum and his lips are wet from drooling. He whines, reaching back to grab at Doyoung’s arm. “I’m not really good at lasting long,” he says softly, “Please fuck me.” 

He’s soon flipped onto his back and Doyoung pushes his thighs up against his chest. The boy no longer has underwear on, Jungwoo guesses he must have taken them off sometime when Jungwoo was a moaning mess. He watches as Doyoung pushes into him. Jungwoo tilts his head back but not far enough to where he can’t see Doyoung’s face. The elder parts his lips, moaning out quietly as his eyes close. 

Jungwoo’s hands scramble for the sheet under him as Doyoung starts thrusting. It’s slow at first to let Jungwoo get used to the size. Doyoung was decent, probably a tiny bit wider than his three fingers and a good length. It was bigger than Jungwoo’s favorite toy and definitely better. The pace becomes faster and Doyoung leans down to breathe against Jungwoo’s neck. 

“I’ve wanted this for so long,” he says, lips pressed against his ear. “I knew you’d be a pretty boy for me but I never imagined you be _this_ pretty.” 

The thought of Doyoung thinking of him while he jacked off made Jungwoo clench around him. His thighs close together slightly, as much as they could with Doyoung between them. Just as Jungwoo had said, he doesn’t last long. He cums again, toes curling and back arching as he tugs the sheets up, nearly popping out from their tucked state. Doyoung doesn’t last much longer either. He groans, hands pushing at the back of Jungwoo’s thighs. His fingernails dig into his skin as he cums, rocking his hips slowly. 

“Ah,” Doyoung says as he pulls out slowly. He tilts his head, looking at Jungwoo while he rubs the back of his neck. “Sorry, I didn’t really plan on cumming in you.” 

Jungwoo crosses his legs, laughing softly as he shakes his head. “It’s okay. I don’t mind.” He watches as the other slides off the bed, grabbing his underwear and tugging it on. Jungwoo turns on his side, pressing his cheek against his pillow. “That was really nice.” 

Doyoung smiles at him. It’s such a _genuine_ smile. It makes Jungwoo feel guilty, it really does. “I’ve really been wanting to fuck you for so long.” 

The older boy doesn’t spend the night. He leaves after he’s cleaned Jungwoo up and snacked on a bowl of cereal. Jungwoo watches as he leaves, biting his lip. He finds his way to the shower a few minutes later. The warm water feels good against his sore back and thighs. It’s been so long since he’s had sex and his body has forgotten how it feels. He wants nothing more than to take a bath and lie down but he knows he’ll fall asleep if lays down even for a minute. 

The marks on his neck are starting to heal. His fingers run over them as he stares at them in the mirror. He’s got three on his neck, one fresh and two somewhat old. The ones on his wrists are all healed, turning a slightly different color than his normal pale tone. Thankfully, Lucas is really good at not making too big of a mark and it doesn’t take much time for them to heal up. 

_[Jungwoo] Are you hungry? I’m about to go to bed so you can come over if you want?_

Jungwoo feels dirty. He feels mentally dirty for texting Lucas only about an hour after Doyoung has left. After they had sex for the first time. He knows it’s wrong, he fully understands. Maybe he’s selfish. Actually he is very selfish. But he just can’t stop. Having two people be head-over-heels for him is exhilarating. 

_[Lucas] I’m out right now but I’ll be over before you go to work :)_


	5. { ☹ }

The feeling of Lucas’s teeth pressing into his neck is what wakes him up. Jungwoo groans slightly, hands reaching for any part of Lucas he can grab onto. It’s a rather quick feeding. Anytime he feeds before Jungwoo goes to work it normally is. He says he doesn’t want Jungwoo feeling too woozy while working. These are the days that Lucas comes back at night too, right after _he_ wakes up. 

Lucas pulls away, wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand. He looks at Jungwoo with a face that he’s never seen before. Jungwoo laughs and pokes Lucas’s nose. “What’s that face for?” 

The boy tilts his head, moving closer to Jungwoo, pressing his nose against him before pulling away again. “You smell weird.” Lucas says and Jungwoo can feel him tense up. “You don’t smell like your normal sweetness.” 

Jungwoo hums, puffing his cheeks out. “Well I got new soap yesterday and I did take a shower before I went to bed.” But the way Lucas is looking at him makes him think that it’s something else. 

Lucas’s eyes widen before he sits up. “No,” The boy’s brows furrow and he slides off the bed. “No, Jungwoo you smell like someone else.” 

Jungwoo feels like his heart just dropped. Dropped right out of his body. He knows his face falls flat and the color falls with it. _Oh no. Oh god. I didn’t even think about that._ Jungwoo doesn’t know what to say. He doesn’t think he can even physically say anything at all right now. His eyes move down to the bed, staring at the star pattern of his sheets. 

“Jungwoo.” It comes harshly and Lucas pushes his hand in Jungwoo’s hair, tilting his head up so he looks at him. “Did you have sex with someone last night? You literally smell disgusting.”

The vampire has never said anything before about him smelling like someone else. He’s hugged and kissed Doyoung before but he had never said anything about it. Jungwoo feels like he can’t breathe and he just wants to be done with this conversation. He wants the loud, happy Lucas to be next to him. Not the one that is currently looking at him with the biggest disgust on his face. 

“Answer me, Jungwoo.” This time it comes softer. Jungwoo closes his eyes and bites his lip. He could deny it. He could pretend like Lucas was acting crazy. But he knew the boy wouldn’t believe him. “Are you seeing someone else?” 

Tears begin to fall down Jungwoo’s cheeks. His lips part open slightly to let out a small sob. He expects Lucas to hug him, like he does when Jungwoo breaks down. But no hug comes. Lucas’s hand slips out of Jungwoo’s hair. The vampire doesn’t say anything and stands there, letting Jungwoo crumble into sobs. 

“How could you do this? I thought-” Jungwoo can hear Lucas’s voice break. “I thought we had something. Don’t you like me?” 

He does, he really does. Lucas is who he thinks about at the end of the night when he goes to bed. Lucas is who he looks for when his phone vibrates with a text message. He looks forward to when Lucas sinks his teeth into his skin because Lucas chose him. Why was this all happening right now? Things were going great between them, absolutely amazing. But Jungwoo knew the answer to his own question. It’s his own fucking fault because he’s selfish. He’s terribly selfish and can’t tell anyone no. He doesn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings by rejecting them. Now he’s wondering which would have hurt less for Lucas. 

The boy leaves quietly. He doesn’t say anything at all and Jungwoo only hears the door shut harshly behind him. Jungwoo lets himself cry a little longer than he should. It’s already ten minutes past the time he should have left when he grabs a tissue and blows his nose. He has to go to work. He can’t stay home, as much as he wishes he could curl up in bed all day and hide away. 

Make-up hides his puffy face rather well. He’s put on a little more conceler than usual, especially under his eyes. They’re still red around his pupils when he leaves, blinking at the camera on the phone to make sure he looks at least decent. 

_[Jungwoo] Lucas. I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. It’s all my fault and I’d really like to explain._

Jungwoo knows that Lucas probably won’t text back. He honestly can’t blame the boy. He wouldn’t want to text him back if he was in his position. But it didn’t hurt to try to talk to him at least. Ignoring the situation would only make it worse. The last thing he wanted was to lose Lucas for good. 

The hospital is chaotic as soon as he walks into the ER. He sees Sicheng typing furiously on his computer, a pile of folders next to him and a line of patients in front of his desk. Ten is with Jisung in one of the examination sections, pushing an IV into a patient that’s being held down by Ten and another male nurse. There’s people crying and ones groaning in pain. 

Jungwoo closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. Right now is not the time to think about Lucas. He has to put it in the back of his mind while he’s at work. Once he’s off, he’ll deal with it. He has to be his happy Jungwoo self. The patients need it. His team needs it. And Jungwoo needs it. Everything was going to be okay. 

Jaehyun is the one that grabs his arm and starts taking him into one of the rooms. “I need you here, now.” Jungwoo nods quickly. Eyes glancing at Jaehyun. The boy grabs the clipboard off the front of the bed, handing it to Jungwoo. “Here.” The older one leaves just as fast as he pulled him into the room. 

The patient in front of him is writhing in pain. Jungwoo reads over the clipboard quickly before hooking it back on the bed. He reaches down, pulling up the patients pant leg. It’s extremely obvious that the man has broken his leg. Part of the bone is sticking out, blood oozing out slowly. Jungwoo sucks in a breath. He’s never been the best with blood. He’s okay enough to treat patients, obviously, but he’s always had to take a moment after to compose himself. 

His hands fold the pant leg up as high as it can go. Jungwoo sucks in a breath, but before he can even do anything, he sees a gloved pair of hands appear, gently holding the patient's leg. Jungwoo looks up, making eye contact with Doyoung. Jungwoo feels his heart skip a beat. He feels like he’s in a movie. A terrible drama movie with a cliche plot because essentially that’s what’s going on right now. 

Jungwoo doesn’t know what comes over him. His chest feels tight and it gets hard to breathe. Sweat starts to form on his forehead and the back of his neck. Something just feels so wrong. It’s too much. His thoughts are too much for him to handle right now. Jungwoo thinks about Doyoung. He thinks about how much the boy likes him. Thinks about how much time they’ve shared together. Then he thinks about Lucas and how happy he always gets when he sees Jungwoo. There’s the biggest smile on his face whenever he hangs out with him. Jungwoo steps back slowly. Tears begin to fall from his eyes and he grabs onto the IV stand. He feels like he’s going to pass out. The room starts spinning and before he knows it, he feels himself fall to the floor. 

 

 

 

 

“Is he going to be okay?” 

“He should be. He didn’t hit his head at all.” 

“I haven’t seen him pass out since his residence days.” 

The sound of voices make Jungwoo’s eyes flutter open. Everything is blurry and he can only see the white blobs of two lab coats on his right. He groans, body feeling like it’s been hit by a bus. It must have been the way he fell, he thinks. That and the soreness from his night with Doyoung. 

“Oh! Jungwoo?” The boy groans softly, hand rubbing at his eyes. He opens his mouth to speak but nothing comes out. “It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything.” 

The voice is Jisung. It’s sweet and cute. Jungwoo nods, blinking a few times to let his eyes adjust. Next to him are Jisung and Jaehyun. Jungwoo frowns, pushing himself up slowly. The room doesn’t spin anymore and his head isn’t full of thoughts. 

“Are you okay?” Jaehyun asks, looking at him with concerned eyes. He reaches down, playing with Jungwoo’s bangs gently. “You haven’t passed out at work in years.” 

Jungwoo used to pass out every time he had to look at blood for a long period of time. But even if he still passed out from that, it’s not like he looked at blood for more than a minute or two before his eyes wandered to Doyoung. Jungwoo shakes his head, looking up at Jaehyun. 

“I’m fine. I just had a rough night and didn’t get much sleep.” 

“Yeah that’s cause you spent it with Doyoung.” Ten’s voice comes from the doorway. The boy has the biggest smirk across his face. “Baby Woo is just a little tired from his playdate with Doyoung.” 

“Ten,” Jungwoo says with a frown. “Please, not right now. I’m not in the mood.” 

“What did Doyoung not put out enough?” 

“Ten.” Jaehyun says his name firmly, arms crossing. “Enough.” 

“What, he’s fine! There’s nothing to be ashamed about Jungwoo. We’ve all been there.” 

Jungwoo watches as Jisung’s face turns bright red and he quickly buries his face in his phone. Jaehyun continues to give Ten a disappointing glare. All Jungwoo wants to do is go home. He doesn’t want to be at work anymore. He doesn’t want to see Doyoung. He doesn’t want to see Ten or anyone for that matter. And god, Ten just keeps fucking talking. Jungwoo isn’t even listening but he hears his voice. He hears him exploiting his business just like he normally does. 

“Or maybe it was Lucas?” Ten gasps dramatically. “The mystery boy who you won’t tell me about.” 

Never in Jungwoo’s five years working at the hospital has he done this. Never has he gotten up and walked straight out of the room. He hears Jaehyun calling for him and Ten booing at him. But Jungwoo keeps walking. He walks right out of the hospital. Tears fill his eyes and he stops momentarily to wipe at them before he continues down the street. 

By the time he reaches the subway, he feels his phone vibrate. Shaky fingers pull it out of his pocket and he sees it’s Jaehyun. He quickly ignores the call, hoping that there would be a message from Lucas waiting for him. There isn’t and Jungwoo can’t say he’s surprised. Instead, a text from Jaehyun comes. 

_[Jaehyun] Jungwoo, please come back.  
[Jaehyun] I’ll talk to Ten. I’m sorry he did that._

Jungwoo frowns. It’s always people apologizing for Ten. The boy never apologizes for his own actions. He loves his friend to death but when it came to owning up for things that he did wrong, the boy just never did it. He could drop a pen and still blame it on someone else or act like it wasn’t his fault. Jungwoo never truly minded but right now was different. 

He wasn’t going to go back. Not today. He didn’t want to see anyone. He didn’t want to hear anyone ask him if he was okay anymore. He _was_ okay. Jungwoo had been okay. Things were going great. But because of his own selfish reasons, he felt like things were falling apart. 

Instead of going right home, he opts to sit and eat something when his stomach growls loudly after he leaves the subway. Jungwoo checks his face on his phone camera, making sure his face wasn’t too red or puffy. He fixes up his make-up slightly before making his way into the cafe. 

It’s slightly crowded as it’s right before lunch time. Jungwoo orders and gets his food and drink quickly though and he’s munching on a sandwich only a few minutes after he sat down. He even treats himself, buying a slice of his favorite cake. 

The chocolate mint reminds him of his date with Lucas. Reminds him of how the boy bought him the cake and fed it to him cutely. How he tried it even though he can’t taste human food. Jungwoo bites at his fork and frowns. The whole day he’s been thinking about Lucas. Thinking about how he’s hurt the boy. Not once today did he think about Doyoung. Jungwoo feels guilt rush over him. Maybe he _did_ know the decision he’s supposed to make.

Lucas was always the one he texted before falling asleep. He would always tell Doyoung he was going to sleep minutes before, sometimes even an hour before he actually went to sleep. It was Lucas who came over most often, even if it was to feed. But he _did_ like Doyoung. He liked him but maybe it wasn’t the right _kind_ of like. As unfortunate as it is, maybe he had to have something like this happen to realize what his heart truly wanted. 

 

 

 

 

 

The clock reads just after seven when he hears a knock on the door. Jungwoo frowns, hands rubbing at his face. He just hopes it’s not Ten. He doesn’t think it is, considering the boy normally knocks like he’s being murdered. Jungwoo pushes himself off the couch, pausing the movie he’s watching. 

Jungwoo feels his heart skip a beat when he sees Lucas in the camera. His fingers hover over the doorknob, teeth biting at his bottom lip. This is what he wanted. He wanted Lucas to come over and explain what was going on. Yet he was hesitating to open the door. When Lucas rings the doorbell one more time, Jungwoo pushes down on the doorknob, opening the door slowly. 

Lucas is dressed simply, a white t-shirt with a black jacket over it. Instead of jeans, he’s opted for slightly tight sweatpants that make his thighs look good. Jungwoo looks at him with sad eyes. He wishes that Lucas could have just texted him. He’s not sure he can even explain things in words without breaking down. Just the thought of crying makes Jungwoo feel pathetic. 

“Hey,” Lucas says as he steps inside slowly, shutting the door behind him. “I honestly didn’t think you’d be home. 

Jungwoo nods, pushing his hands in his pockets. “Yeah, I got off early.” He looks at Lucas, frowning as he part his lips. “I’m really sorry, Lucas. I can-” 

“Come on, let’s sit down first. I can sense you’re really nervous.” 

Lucas’s fingers wrap around Jungwoo’s hand. His fingers were a good amount bigger than Jungwoo’s and they held his hand with ease. They settled down on the couch and Jungwoo didn’t waste time wrapping his arms around him. Neither of them talk for a while. Jungwoo just buries his face against Lucas’s chest, loving the way his cologne smells. Lucas was reluctant, hand only gently rubbing his back. 

He doesn’t know where to start. He doesn’t know how much to include into his explanation either. Should he tell Lucas everything? How he’s known Doyoung since he was a child and the boy has had a crush on him for years. Or how he did have feels for Doyoung at some point. Jungwoo thinks they went away when he started talking with Lucas more but it honestly was hard to pinpoint when they did. 

“I’m just hurt,” Lucas says quietly, “I really thought I was the only one.” Lucas has every right to be hurt. Jungwoo wouldn’t have been surprised if the boy had never talked to him again. The fact that he’s here, willing to listen to Jungwoo, makes him feel that much worse. It means that Lucas cared about him, more than he realized. “I mean, is it someone random or..?”

Jungwoo shakes his head, pulling away from Lucas slowly. He folds his legs up on the couch, sighing as he tugs the blanket over his lap. “No. It’s actually my best friend.” He can hear Lucas scoff and Jungwoo watches as he shakes his head, hands pushing his hair back. “I’m sorry, Lucas. It’s really all my fault. He likes me a lot and I thought I liked him but then I met you and I didn’t know how to-” 

“Wait,” Lucas looks at him, eyes squinted and brows furrowed. “You’ve been dating both of us?” 

_Keep calm, keep calm._ Jungwoo bites his lip, sucking in a breath slowly. “Well I didn’t exactly say yes to be his boyfriend and you never asked me so, technically no.” 

“But you had sex with him, Jungwoo. That’s not really something you do when you’re-” Lucas frowns leaning back against the couch. “Didn’t you think before you did it? I mean did you honestly not think about me?” 

“I did!” Jungwoo frowns, hands hitting against his thighs. “I think about you all the time Lucas.” The end of his words fade off as his voice breaks. 

“Then why did you do it? Maybe I’m not understanding something but Jungwoo, people just don’t have sex with other people when they’re dating someone else.”

“Lucas-” 

Jungwoo watches as the vampire stands up, hands running through his hair. “Do you just not get it?” His voice gets louder as he clicks his tongue. “Jungwoo, I fucking,” Lucas laughs softly. “I really fucking like you. Probably actually love you. Do you understand how much this hurts? I honestly thought you were my boyfriend this whole time. I thought that’s just what we were. It felt like it. Did it not feel like that to you?” 

It’s getting harder and harder for Jungwoo to stay calm. The guilt in him is building up so high that it’s at the bottom of his throat, making him hardly be able to swallow. Jungwoo parts his lips, wanting to say something but he’s really at a loss for words again. He feels like he could say as much as he wants but it’s not what Lucas wants to hear. None of what Jungwoo says will be what Lucas wants to hear, honestly. 

Jungwoo watches as Lucas paces back and forth slowly. He tilts his head and lets the first words that come to his mind out. “Are you hungry?” 

Lucas frowns, looking at Jungwoo with his arms crossed. “You’re not seriously asking me that right now, are you?” 

“I don’t know what else to say,” Jungwoo says quietly, head tilting down and eyes staring at the blanket under him. 

“You know what,” Lucas says loudly, walking over to Jungwoo. “I am hungry.” 

Jungwoo gasps as Lucas pushes him so he’s flush against the back of the couch. His eyes widen when he sees Lucas stare at him. There’s a handful of emotions in his eyes. Anger, pain, sadness, frustration. Jungwoo can see them all. He whines, eyes closing as Lucas tilts his neck, immediately pushing his fangs into his neck. The spot is much higher than usual. It’s right in the middle of his neck. 

The fangs are deeper than they should be. It’s not the slight burning and stinging that Jungwoo is used to. It hurts. It _really_ hurts. Jungwoo grabs Lucas’s arm, squeezing it tightly. Jungwoo can feel his pulse in his head, throbbing deeply. Lucas runs his hand along Jungwoo’s thighs, squeezing when it reaches the top. 

There’s something much different about this feeding. Lucas is normally gentle, careful not to let Jungwoo move in a certain way that could cause him pain. His fangs go in just enough to let the blood flow. Then after he’s done, he tends to the marks, wiping them up and putting small band-aids on them. His hand runs down Jungwoo’s face, gently pinching his cheek as he waits for the boy to come back to normal. However, this is not that Lucas. 

This Lucas is one that has a tight grip on his thigh and the other is holding his head in a position that’s very uncomfortable. His breath is heavy, nose flush against Jungwoo’s neck. It feels aggressive. He has more than just hunger in him with the way he’s feeding. It’s gone on longer than usual. Jungwoo feels more dizzy than he normally does and Lucas hasn’t even pulled away yet. 

Jungwoo whines, struggling to open his eyes. He grabs at the boy’s arm, squeezing it as hard as he can. “Lucas,” he whispers, mouth feeling dry. “Lucas, stop. I don’t feel good.” 

Something isn’t right. Nausaue hits him heavy and Jungwoo swallows, biting at his lip to try and hold the feeling back. Lucas pulls away though. His tongue licks at Jungwoo’s neck, wiping up the mess that he’s made. The boy looks at him and Jungwoo lets out a small whimper. This is not the Lucas he’s used to. His eyes are heavy and dark, his whole face is blushed and his hand is still gripping at Jungwoo’s thigh. 

“I want you. Do you understand, Jungwoo? I fucking-” Lucas takes a breath, pulling his hand away slowly. “I want you to be mine. _All_ mine.” 

“Who are you?” 

Jungwoo’s eyes widen and he feels like the world has stopped around him. _No, no this can’t be happening. Please no._ The boy tilts his head slightly, the dizziness still making things hard to see. A whimper escapes out of his throat when he sees Doyoung standing by the door, plastic bag in hand and a small bundle of flowers in the other. _You’ve got to be kidding me._

If Jungwoo thought he was in a movie before, he’s definitely in a movie now. His two lovers meet finally, at the worst time possible. Lucas stands up, hands curled tight at his sides. The blood hasn’t been cleaned off his mouth yet and his fangs are still showing. The room is full of heavy tension and he watches as Doyoung sets the bag down on the floor and the flowers on the small table next to the door. They’re both staring at each other and Jungwoo just wants to hide. He wants to run away and hide from the world. He knows what’s going to happen. It’s not going to end well and it’s really all his fault. It’s all his stupid, selfish, fault. 

“I’m his boyfriend.” 

Jungwoo wishes that Lucas really didn’t use that term. But then again, Jungwoo knows that he never told Lucas that he didn’t want to be with him. They acted like they were dating, just without the label. Especially now, he knows that Lucas will try and hold his ground, try and say anything that will make Doyoung feel threatened. And for the first time since he met the boy, Jungwoo is actually scared. 

Doyoung scoffs, tilting his head. “That’s funny because the last time I checked, I was his boyfriend.” 

The two of them move closer to each other, both with scowls on their lips and brows furrowed. Jungwoo can’t do anything but watch. Nothing he says will fix this now. He could yell at shout at them to stop but it doesn’t matter. _He’s_ done this. _He_ was the one that created this. But he had to do something or else he doesn’t know what will happen. 

“Stop!” The command comes out loud, louder than Jungwoo ever thought he could be. Shaky legs struggle to stand him up and he grips the edge of the couch to steady himself. “Please,” he says desperately. “Please stop.” 

“You know what,” Lucas says grabbing his jacket, tugging it on quickly. “You can fucking have him.” 

The boy leaves quickly, slamming the door on his way out. Jungwoo feels part of his heart disappear, almost as if Lucas took it with him. Jungwoo doesn’t know what to do. He doesn’t know how to explain this and Doyoung is looking at him with hurt eyes. This isn’t what he wanted. He didn’t want to hurt anyone. That’s why he couldn’t tell them no in the first place. But now it’s even worse. The fear of hurting them has made them hurt even worse. In the worse way possible. 

Jungwoo walks slowly over to Doyoung and the closer he gets, the more he can see the small tears running down the boy’s face. Doyoung never cries. Never. Jungwoo has only seen tears fall a handful of times and most of them were when they were kids. It’s always Doyoung that is strong with Jungwoo cries. He never lets himself be so overwhelmed that he cries. Jungwoo already knows he fucked up but seeing Doyoung cry really hits him hard. 

“Doyoung, I can.. I can explain.” Jungwoo reaches his hand out, only to be smacked away by the boy. 

“I don’t want an explanation.” The boy says quietly. His hand reaches up, rubbing at his eyes. “I don’t get it.” Doyoung bites his lip as he looks at Jungwoo. His eyes are red and wet, lip slightly bleeding from how hard he’s been chewing at his lip. “We had something, did we not? Jungwoo, you can’t honestly tell me that you didn’t feel anything between us.” Doyoung raises his voice and it makes Jungwoo take a step back. “You can’t tell me that you didn’t like me. I fucking know that you did. I felt it and I know you did too. We slept together, Jungwoo! Does that mean nothing to you?” 

Jungwoo doesn’t say anything. Nothing he says right now will make Doyoung feel better. He stands with his lips parted and eyes full of regret as he stares at his distraught friend. 

“You don’t just lead people on like that. Especially not me. How-” Doyoung looks at him with firm eyes. “How could you do this to me? I thought we were best friends.” 

“I didn’t mean for it to get this far,” Jungwoo spits out quickly. His heart is beating too fast and he feels like he’s hyperventilating. “I really meant to tell you sooner but I just didn’t want to hurt you.” 

Doyoung scoffs. He scoffs and then Jungwoo feels a hard slap against his cheek. It hurts, it really hurts. It wasn’t a playful slap like they do sometimes when Jungwoo is being too clingy. It was meaningful. There was anger behind it. Anger, frustration, sadness, just pain in general. Jungwoo deserves it, he does and it hurts so bad that he can’t help but begin to cry. 

“This is what you must have felt when you saw you boyfriend cheat on you, isn’t it?” 

The question makes Jungwoo’s throat open up and he lets out a sob. _No, no, no, no, no._ It’s not what he intended at all. He didn’t want to be like his ex. That was the last thing he wanted to be like. Yet here he was, caught with another boy. It was probably just as painful as Jungwoo had felt when he saw the scene. Doyoung loves him, he knows he does. He knew the entire time what he was doing. Then again, so did his ex.

“Doyoung, I’m really sorry. I’m sorry.” The words come out broken and Jungwoo can barely understand himself. 

“Just,” Doyoung grabs the bag that he’s set down and picks the flowers up with his other hand. “We can talk at work but I don’t want anything else to do with you, Jungwoo.” 

As fast as it started, it ended. Both of them were gone, really gone. Now Jungwoo was alone, the only sound being his sniffles and quiet sobs as he lays down in his bed. 

 

 

 

 

 

It feels like he’s back at square one. Honestly, behind square one. This time, he doesn’t bother attempting to put on a happy face at work. The only thing is, no one seems to care. Obviously, Ten ignores him. Jungwoo could have expected that. But even Sicheng and Jisung avoid eye contact and only answer in short replies when talked to. Doyoung seems to distance himself as much as possible from him. Jungwoo only sees him from afar these days. 

Jungwoo isn’t even sure if there was a way to fix this. All of his friends were mad at him, so clearly trying to avoid him at all costs. It leaves him feeling even worse. Nobody has texted him since the night. The only text he did recieve was from Jaehyun asking if he could work a double one day. But even he seemed mad at him. 

Days began to feel incredibly long. Jungwoo had no one to talk to. No one to spend time with after work or during lunch. He found himself eating at cafes alone in the middle of the night, shoving his face with sweets. He’s cried a thousand times. Everytime, hoping that it’d make him feel a bit better. It hasn’t helped at all. 

It’s because Jungwoo knew what he was doing. He knew it was wrong the whole time. He had even said it to himself several times. But he just couldn’t stop. He didn’t want the feeling of being loved again leave him. Maybe that’s why it hurt so much. Because he could have prevented this. Not only does he feel pain for himself but he feels pain for Lucas and Doyoung. Not too long ago, Jungwoo was in their spot. He knows how it feels. The pain of seeing someone you love be with someone else in front of your eyes is a terrible feeling. Jungwoo knows that. He knows the hours, days, months, he spent upset and hurt from it. Why couldn’t he stop then? Why couldn’t he have just said something to them? Why didn’t he just be with the one he really wanted? 

Maybe in the back of his mind it was his way of coping with the whole situation. It’s an odd theory and a terrible one at that. Maybe it’s because he got hurt this way, he wanted to make others feel how it felt. Make someone else understand how much pain he went through. Jungwoo just really never thought it would be Doyoung and Lucas. 

Knowing Doyoung was suffering really hit hard. Doyoung was the one that comforted Jungwoo through his whole break-up and after. He was there when he could barely breathe from crying. The boy never asked questions, he never tried to pry Jungwoo to explain what happened. He was just there for him. He handed him tissues and wiped at his tears for hours. Doyoung was the one that sent texts to him every morning making sure that he was okay. The boy cared for Jungwoo. He cared for him with his whole heart. 

Lucas was someone that came quickly into his life. He came in one night and stayed. Jungwoo knows that Lucas didn’t intend on staying. He didn’t think he was going to fall in love with a human, he had even admitted it. _Vampires don’t date humans. It’s actually really taboo. But I can’t stop thinking about you._ But Lucas was the one that stole his heart. Lucas was the one that Jungwoo wanted to be with and he’s almost positive he knew that all along. He was just so scared of hurting Doyoung. He never wanted to tell him because he was afraid. 

Jungwoo never intended on falling in love with Lucas. It happened so quickly. He fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once. It hit him hard and Jungwoo didn’t even see it coming. The only problem was, Lucas wanted nothing to do with him anymore. 

 

 

 

 

 

The air is chilly and it makes Jungwoo shiver, wishing he had brought a better jacket. Spring was in full bloom though so the nights weren’t sickeningly cold anymore. Jungwoo hated the cold though so he still tried to bundle up as much as possible. 

He really has no idea where he’s going. Its nearly two in the morning and there’s not many streetlights on. Jungwoo’s phone is no help because he didn’t have an exact place he was going to. There was just a general area he was looking for. That area was somewhere secluded behind the red district. 

Jungwoo had been to the district only once before. He had wandered in by accident the last time and he’s never wanted to come back since, for obvious reasons. Jungwoo was a pretty boy. He was soft and quiet, innocence written all over his face. That type of boy was popular in the red district. It wasn’t surprising that Jungwoo had never gone back. 

It was much quieter this time. Perhaps it was because it was later at night. Or maybe it was the cold air that kept people away. Jungwoo only saw a handful of people while he was walking through. Most of them were older gentlemen seated outside with beers in one hand and a cigarette in the other. There wasn’t anyone whistling at him or asking him to come over to him. Jungwoo was thankful considering he was already nervous to walk through the district by himself. 

The neon light of the bar he was looking for shined brightly against the darkness around it. It was hidden down a small alleyway. The alley was so small that Jungwoo even had a hard time walking down it. The sign wasn’t big either. It wasn’t flashy or fancy and had a simple needle as it’s picture. 

Half of Jungwoo knew he shouldn’t be there the second he walked in. He bit his lip, watching as the men and women all looked over at him. It makes him suck in a breath, fingers tugging at the bottom of his jacket. There’s at least thirty different people staring at him. Even all the workers who have drinks and plates of food in their hands stop and look at him. 

“What is a human like you doing here?” 

The voice is harsh and it comes from behind him, almost against his ear. Jungwoo gasps, turning around quickly. He sees a larger man, several centimeters taller than him, staring at him, fangs pressing against the corners of his mouth. Jungwoo steps backwards only to bump into another man equally as intimidating. 

“You’re so pretty,” the man behind him says. “You smell so good too.” 

“Are you lost? I can help you find your way back home.” 

Jungwoo blinks, biting his lip as the two men start moving closer, closing the space between them and making Jungwoo feel even more uncomfortable. 

“Jungwoo?” The voice is who Jungwoo’s been looking for. He quickly turns to see Lucas staring at him. His eyes are wide and his head tilted in confusion. The boy walks over to him, pulling him away from the two men quickly. “He’s mine.” 

“He sure doesn’t smell like he’s yours.” The one man hisses, grabbing at Jungwoo’s arm. “We saw him first.” 

Lucas pulls Jungwoo back against him, arm wrapping around his waist. Jungwoo can see Lucas’s fangs come out even more than they were. His fingers pull down Jungwoo’s sweater, showing off the last time he marked him. The scar was much bigger than the ones he usually has. They haven’t healed as easily since Lucas was much rougher. “He’s mine.” 

The two men look at each other before growling as they retreated. Lucas grabs Jungwoo’s chin, turning his face towards him. “What the hell are you doing here? Do you know how dangerous this is? You’re lucky someone didn’t take you off the street.” 

The words come firm but the way Lucas is rubbing at Jungwoo’s cheek make him realize that Lucas is saying it out of concern. It makes Jungwoo melt into his touch and god, he’s so happy to see Lucas again. He’s missed his deep, loud, voice. He’s missed his big hands and his icy blue eyes that look at him almost the same as they did before. 

“Lucas,” Jungwoo says quietly. He bites at his lip, the words he’s about to say are ones he’s thought about for days. “I want to be like you.” 

The boy tilts his head in confusion. He looks at Jungwoo with confused eyes. “What do you mean, be like me?” 

“I want you to make me a vampire.” 

“Jungwoo,” the boy says softly, hands sliding down to his arms, rubbing them gently. “You’re very stupid for wanting that.” Lucas frowns, pulling away from the boy. “Go home. It’s dangerous for you to be here.” 

Jungwoo’s hand grabs at Lucas’s arm as the boy pulls away. “I want to be with you.” 

Lucas shakes his head, pushing Jungwoo’s hand off of him. “What about Doyoung? He’s your best friend isn’t he? Just be with him. I’m not who you want.” 

Doyoung was still mad at Jungwoo. It had been almost a month now and the boy had barely said anything to him. He doesn’t know how many times he’s whispered sorry while they were tending to a patient. While they were standing at the desk waiting for Sicheng to write up a report for them. While he caught Doyoung sitting in the office alone. 

_I’m not ready to forgive you yet._

Even though Doyoung hadn’t come around yet, the others had begun to. Sicheng had started talking to him. It wasn’t the same as before and most of the time the boy gave him a disappointing look. 

_That was really fucked up, you know that right? I didn’t think you could even do something like that._

Ten was blunt as ever and he was the one that gave Jungwoo the most shit. Jungwoo expected it though. But Ten was even more tame than he thought. Jungwoo hopes that maybe it was because it was obvious that Jungwoo was hurting as well. He knew he fucked up, he didn’t need Ten to bring him to his senses. 

Jaehyun was the one to be the nicest to him, as Jungwoo expected. He still wasn’t happy with Jungwoo’s actions but he didn’t make him feel anymore worse than he already did. 

_I know it’s hard, especially after what happened with your last boyfriend. Just remember how that felt and how Doyoung must be feeling right now. But even though he’s feeling like that now, he’s your best friend. He’ll come around. Just give it time._

It wasn’t like Lucas was talking to him either. Jungwoo had sent hundreds of text messages to the boy. All of them were apologies. Some were one word while others were paragraphs. Lucas never texted back though, not once. Yet Jungwoo was here, in the middle of vampire territory attempting to make it up to Lucas. 

“You’re the one I’ve been thinking of, Lucas.” Jungwoo says with a frown. “I’m sorry things happened the way they did. I know I messed up, I know.” Jungwoo bites his lip, grabbing at Lucas’s arm. “But I want to be with you.” 

Lucas looks at him with confusion. But Jungwoo can tell that the boy is cracking. He looks around before sighing, grabbing Jungwoo’s hand. “Let’s talk somewhere else.” 

That somewhere else is Lucas’s apartment. Jungwoo stands to the side as Lucas talks to the security guard for several minutes. The lobby is cold and dark. It almost feels like he’s in a prison. It doesn’t look like a prison though. The floors are a beautiful marble and everything is modern and fancy. It smells of metal and Jungwoo can only guess that it’s the smell of blood. 

Sometime while Jungwoo is reading the notice board, Lucas grabs his hand. Jungwoo’s currently reading a notice about how nobody is allowed out past six in the morning due to the sun beginning to rise earlier and the chances of humans increases. 

“Come on,” Lucas says quietly, guiding Jungwoo to the elevator. 

They ride in silence. Lucas is leaning against the wall, arms crossed and head pressed against the silver wall. Jungwoo gently taps his feet together, not knowing what to do. Lucas is still radiating tension and Jungwoo can feel it even from the other side of the elevator. 

Lucas’s room is pretty much what he expected it to be. There’s clothes on the floor in front of his bed. Candles that look like they have no wax left in them scattered across his apartment, one on nearly every surface. Jungwoo bites his lip at the large pile of empty blood bags that are on the couch and coffee table. He supposes that Jungwoo was his primary source of blood for a while and this must be the result of not having a human to drink from. 

“Sorry,” Lucas says quietly. “I don’t normally have people over.” 

“It’s fine,” Jungwoo nods, watching as Lucas picks up what must be fifty or sixty empty bags of blood. 

It hasn’t been that long since they last saw each other. Maybe a month, a little less. Jungwoo has lost track of time with the amount he’s been in and out of the real world. He sees even more bags that have been stuffed into the trash can when Lucas struggles to put the ones he has in his hands in. The bags aren’t small either. They’re much bigger than even the ones at the hospital that he gave him and Jungwoo knows the boy hasn’t been drinking that much blood out of him or else he’d certainly be dead. 

“I love you.” 

The words fall out of Jungwoo’s mouth. He watches as Lucas stops attempting to clean up and stares at him. The boy stands up slowly, hand running through his head. “No you don’t.” 

Jungwoo frowns, fingers curling into his palms. “I do. I love you.” 

Lucas walks over to him slowly. “No. You’re only saying it because you’re lonely. You don’t love me. You just miss my company.” 

For some reason, Jungwoo didn’t expect Lucas to fight back. He knew the boy would be slightly hesitant but Jungwoo honestly thought that Lucas would tell him how much he loves him too. 

“Lucas I mean it.” Jungwoo pleads, “I know I fucked up really bad. I know I did. I love you though. It’s always been you. You’re the one I always thought about when I woke up and went to bed. I’m here trying to fix things with you.” 

Jungwoo’s confession makes Lucas shut up. He stands quietly in front of the couch. They stare at each other for some time. Jungwoo bites at his lip, wondering if he should just leave. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe he should have just stayed home and not even tried. It was obvious that Lucas didn’t want him anymore. If he did, he would have reached out to him, right? Even so, Jungwoo was in Lucas’s apartment. The boy brought him here when he didn’t have to. He could have let Jungwoo fall into the other vampire’s grasps. He could have-

Lucas’s lips press against his. Jungwoo was too busy in his thoughts to even realize that the boy had moved closer. His large hands cup at Jungwoo’s cheeks, making the boy tilt his head. They kiss for several minutes, never going any deeper into it. 

“I don’t want to play any games, Jungwoo.” Lucas says, lips still pressed against his. “I want you to love me and only me. No one else.” 

“I promise,” Jungwoo says, wrapping his arms around the boy’s shoulders, tugging him down for another kiss. “It’s just you.” 

 

 

 

 

 

Jungwoo finds himself lying in Lucas’s bed, the boy laying across from him, fingers playing in his hair. “You’re so pretty, do you know that?” Jungwoo laughs, nodding quickly as he looks at Lucas. The boy leans forward, pressing a kiss against the boy’s forehead. “You honestly don’t want to become a vampire, right?” 

It had been a few days since Jungwoo wandered into the red district to find Lucas. He had confessed wanting to be a vampire when the boy asked why he was there. The real reason was to see him again. To try and make things right with Lucas. But after thinking about the situation, he didn’t think it was that bad of an idea. 

Jungwoo licks his lips, humming softly as he bites his lip. “I do,” he says quietly. “I want to be with you that way.” 

Lucas’s brows furrow and his lips curl into a frown. He pushes Jungwoo’s bangs back, twirling a piece around his finger. “You don’t want that. I couldn’t do that to you.” Jungwoo rubs his cheek against the pillow, watching as Lucas becomes consumed by his thoughts. “It’s too painful and you don’t want to be this way.” 

“What does it feel like,” Jungwoo isn’t sure he really wants to know. But he’s curious in case he ever did become a vampire. 

“To be honest, it feels like you’re about to die.” Lucas laughs softly, elbow pushing himself up slightly, head tilted on his shoulder. “I mean I guess _technically_ you would die. I would have to feed from you until there’s only the smallest bit of blood in you.” Lucas sucks in a breath, cheeks puffing out as he looks at Jungwoo. “You would be passed out by that point from blood loss. But then after that.. To be honest I don’t remember how I felt after that.” 

Jungwoo parts his lips, mind immersed in Lucas’s story. The boy had mentioned how he had become a vampire instead of being born one. He had never really explained in detail how it happened but to be fair, Jungwoo never asked either. 

“The only thing I remember is waking up really hungry. Not like your kind of hungry but hungry for blood. I can’t describe it. The closest thing would probably be being really thirsty. So thirsty that you’re mouth is dry and he feel like you could drink a whole bottle of water.” The boy laughs, sitting up fully with his legs crossed, facing Jungwoo. “I was like that for a while. Thankfully the family that took me in fed me lots of blood. I would just drink all day, constantly wanting more.” 

“Were you scared?” Jungwoo knows it’s a stupid question but he can’t stop himself from answering it. 

“Yeah,” Lucas says with a shrug. “I was only nine at the time so I really didn’t understand what was going on. I had never even heard of vampires before. I had no idea what to expect.” The boy stretches his arms out, yawning softly as he continues to talk. “It got better though. I became less dependent on blood and I was allowed to go out at night to do some normal things. I just didn’t have many friends. All my friends I had were the ones I made when I was a human and well, I couldn’t exactly go see them.” 

“It must have been hard,” Jungwoo says with a frown, body moving over so his head rests against Lucas’s lap. 

“That’s why I don’t want you to become a vampire, buttercup.” Jungwoo feels his face blush at the nickname. Lucas had finally told him why he started to call him that and it was because of his caramel colored hair. It reminded him of buttercups for some reason. Not to mention Jungwoo was pretty cute and the nickname was just as cute. “I couldn’t take you away from your friends or your job. You wouldn’t be able to work there anymore, at least not for a while until you could control yourself.” 

They stay quiet for a while. Lucas has his hand running back and forth along Jungwoo’s back, fingers making patterns on his shirt. Jungwoo thinks that Lucas thinks he’s fallen asleep but he’s really deep in thought. 

Would it be worth it? He didn’t exactly want to stop being a nurse. He loved being the one to help treat people that were in pain. Not to mention he had worked so hard to get where he was. Years and years of studying. Countless hours of drinking coffee to keep him awake. Not only would he be throwing away his hard work, he’d be throwing away the friendships he’s made. Ten, Doyoung, Sicheng, Jaehyun, and even little Jisung. He most likely wouldn’t be able to see them for a long time. Even when he was ready, he wasn’t sure if he could even see them. What would they think? Would they even want to be around him? 

“I want to be with you forever,” Jungwoo says quietly, biting at his lip as he pokes Lucas’s knee. “If I become a vampire, we could be together for a lot longer than if I stay a human.” 

Instead of answering, Lucas looks down at him with sad eyes. He bites his lip, cupping at Jungwoo’s cheek, thumb rubbing against it gently. Jungwoo knows it’s a big, big commitment. It isn’t like a new hair color that he can change if he doesn’t like it. It’s not getting a new job that he could quit if he wasn’t happy. There was no turning back. No backing out of it if he hated it. Jungwoo would have to change everything. It wasn’t as hard for Lucas, being so young. He hadn’t established a career yet. He hadn’t worked so hard for something for so long. 

“Let’s just be together like this.” Lucas smiles at him softly. “I can’t bear the thought of you suffering.” 

 

 

 

 

A small yellow note falls out of his locker as Jungwoo opens it to put his coat away. He tilts his head, reaching down to grab it. When he unfolds it, he sees a note written in pretty handwriting and he doesn’t even need to read it to know who it’s from. 

_Can we meet at the usual spot tonight? I’ll be there at eight._

Jungwoo sucks in a breath, shoving the note in his pocket. He looks up at the clock ticking away in the corner of the room. It’s nearly seven thirty. Jungwoo grabs his bag, hanging his coat up nicely, making sure it’s not wrinkled as he closes the door to his locker. 

It’s still light outside when he walks out of the hospital. The change in season allowed it to be light out later. Spring had passed and it was now in the middle of August. Even though the season brought good things, nothing in Jungwoo’s life had really changed for the better. Of course he was still dating Lucas, actually dating. They were happy. _Jungwoo_ was happy. It was honestly the best thing in his life right now. 

Ten was still cold towards him. They talked more but it was nothing like it was before. Jungwoo knows it’s going to take a lot longer for the boy to forgive him. Once Ten disliked someone, he really disliked them. It took a lot of convincing for him to change. It didn’t matter that they were best friends before. Ten’s amazing at holding grudges and even his former friend was no exception to the rule. 

Jaehyun and Jisung were back to normal for the most part. They talked normally and Jungwoo even hung out with Jaehyun a few times, agreeing to accompany him shopping. Jaehyun was forgiving, he always has been, especially when it came to Jungwoo. He’d never admit it but the elder had a soft spot for the boy. A really soft spot. It normally came out when he was drunk in the form of a clingy Jaehyun. 

Sicheng was the same way. He talked to Jungwoo when he had to. They ran into each other one day when Jungwoo was out grocery shopping. The boy said a few words but he was with his girlfriend and Jungwoo didn’t want to bother them so he didn’t stretch the conversation out. Yet Sicheng was the only one that sat with Jungwoo at lunch usually. Even if they didn’t talk much, the boy’s company was nice. It was enough to tell Jungwoo that he still cared. He just probably didn’t want to get yelled at by Ten. 

That’s what most of them probably thought. They didn’t want to be seen with Jungwoo because they were scared of what the others would think if they saw him hanging out with him. It was terrible, honestly. Jungwoo never thought that he’d be the friend everyone was scared to be seen with. Things were never like that before and unfortunately, the whole situation brought out the worst in his friends. 

And Doyoung. Well, Doyoung was seated across from him. His hair was a dark brown color now. It was practically black and Jungwoo wasn’t sure why he would even dye it the color he did since it was such a subtle difference. The boy was wearing a black and white turtleneck that was under a purple sweater. The colors looked good with his skin tone and complemented his hair. 

They had talked a few times before this. Doyoung had texted him saying that he was sorry about a week ago. A week before that, the boy had slipped a box of Jungwoo’s favorite cookies into his locker. It was subtle but it made Jungwoo realize that Doyoung probably didn’t still hate his guts. Now they were meeting for the first time since the encounter with Lucas. 

“Hey,” Doyoung says quietly, shifting in his seat. His fingers drag the drops of water down that have collected on his drink. “Thanks for meeting me.” 

Jungwoo nods, hands awkwardly placed on his knees. They don’t say anything for a while. Long enough for Doyoung to finish his drink and Jungwoo to go order one and come back. Jungwoo can’t blame Doyoung though. The last time they met was a disaster. One that didn’t have to happen but it did. Jungwoo was certain that they both were aware they would have to talk about it. Nothing was going to get better if they ignored it. Things would just continue to be the way that they were now. 

“I’m sorry,” Jungwoo says with a frown. “Doyoung, I really never meant to hurt you. I just didn’t know what to do and I know I’m a terrible person.” It comes out quickly and Jungwoo closes his eyes, afraid to see what kind of reaction the boy was going to have. 

He feels a hand on his arm, fingers sliding down it slowly. Jungwoo frowns, eyes opening but still not looking at the older boy. “It’s okay, Jungwoo. I forgive you.”

In one way, it feels like a weight has been lifted from his shoulders. Hearing those words made Jungwoo feel better, it really did. But he still felt like he owed the world to Doyoung. All the thoughts from the last few months comes rushing towards his mouth and Jungwoo can’t stop them from coming out. 

“You’re my best friend and I can’t believe I did that to you. I really don’t deserve to be forgiven so I really understand if you don’t forgive me ever. I just want you to know that I do care about you and I really miss you and Doyoung I-” 

At this point Jungwoo sounds like a babbling mess. His eyes have become teary and his breath is irregular. Doyoung moves his chair closer to the table so he can grab Jungwoo’s arm better, pulling his hand towards him. 

“Jungwoo, breathe. It’s okay. I just said I forgive you.”

“But you don’t have to,” Jungwoo says tearily, nose becoming red from the start of his crying. 

“I want to.” Doyoung says it firmly, looking at him with big eyes. “I miss you, Jungwoo. I miss hanging out with you. I miss staying up all night and watching movies together and dancing to music shows. I miss your happy smile and positive personality. I miss my cute Jungwoo who would skip around the hospital and ask how everyone’s doing.” Doyoung takes a breath, biting his lip as he wiggles Jungwoo’s hand gently. “Shit happens. Even though this was,” the boy pauses, looking down at the table. “Rough, I don’t want it to ruin our friendship forever.” 

Doyoung was Jungwoo’s best friend for a reason. They had been through so much together throughout the years and no matter what happened, they always found it in their hearts to forgive each other. They knew how to comfort each other. No matter the situation, they could remain friends. This however, was much worse than any situation they had been in before. It was even worse than the time Doyoung pushed Jungwoo off the swing when they were younger because the boy wouldn’t share. It was worse than the time Jungwoo accidently broke Doyoung’s laptop because he dropped it on the floor. Yet here Doyoung was, telling Jungwoo he forgave him. 

“Just tell me one thing,” Doyoung says, eyes staring at Jungwoo again. “Did you have any feelings for me?” 

“I did. I really did. I just don’t think they were the right feelings.” Jungwoo frowns, biting at his lip as he squeezes Doyoung’s fingers. “They weren’t the same feelings you had for me.” 

Jungwoo wasn’t sure he would ever understand what the feelings were he had for Doyoung. Perhaps it was a comfort feeling, familiarity almost. They had kissed before. Doyoung had been in Jungwoo’s thoughts before when he gave himself pleasure. Maybe Jungwoo liked having someone he could fall back on. Someone he knew everything about while still enjoying something new and foreign. That was the best way he could think of it. 

“It really hurt but I know you’re not that type of person. I could tell how upset you were because of it too. It made me feel a lot better knowing that you didn’t just brush me off. I know it hurt you too.” 

Jungwoo nods, laughing softly as he runs his hand through his hair. “I never meant it to end up like that.” The boy smiles, sighing as he leans his forehead against the table. “Thank you for forgiving me.” 

The elder boy laughs, hitting Jungwoo in the back of the head gently. “Yeah, yeah. Now,” Doyoung says, gently tugging the boy’s hair up so he looks up at him. “Tell me about Lucas. I have to make sure that he’s worthy for you.” 

Jungwoo laughs, rolling his eyes as he smacks Doyoung’s hand away from him. “I do have something to tell you about him that you’re not going to like.” 

Doyoung raises his eyebrow at him, leaning over the table, arms crossed on the surface. “Spill it.” 

To be honest, Jungwoo’s nervous to tell Doyoung. But he’s not going to keep anymore secrets from the boy. He decides to spit it right out, plain and simple. “He’s a vampire.” 

Jungwoo watches as Doyoung’s mouth drops and he shakes his head. “Come on, Jungwoo. That’s not even slightly believable.” When Jungwoo stares at him instead of laughing and agreeing that it’s just a joke, Doyoung seems to get it. “Wait, how? I thought vampires were just a myth.” 

The response sends Jungwoo into a tangent about Lucas. Doyoung sits quietly, nodding his head to everything that Jungwoo says. He explains that Lucas isn’t out to kill him. He’s given full permission for the boy to feed off of him. He tells him how loud and obnoxious the boy is but how soft and sweet he is at the same time. Jungwoo doesn’t realize that he’s ranting like a love-struck high school boy until he takes a deep breath from talking so fast. 

Doyoung only smiles at him. It’s a genuine smile. One that makes Jungwoo smile as well. “As long as he treats you well, Jungwoo. If you’re happy and healthy, that’s all that matters.” 

 

 

 

 

 

“Do I have to?” 

Lucas whines as Jungwoo tugs him out of the subway car, weaving them past a group of teenage girls. They were on their way for dinner with his group. Jungwoo had convinced Jaehyun to let him bring Lucas to the dinner. It would be a way Jungwoo would try to show them how amazing Lucas is. Jaehyun had agreed with a happy smile and told Jungwoo he was excited to meet the boy. 

“I’m not even going to eat anything. I feel like It’ll just be awkward.” 

Jungwoo whines, turning back to look at Lucas once they get on the escalator. “Stop complaining.” He hits the boy’s shoulder gently, puffing his cheeks out. “It’ll be really fun, I promise. If it’s not we can leave.” Jungwoo smiles, pinching Lucas’s cheek. 

The vampire huffs the whole time to the restaurant. It’s still slightly light out and Lucas has brought an umbrella out with him to help hide him from the remaining sun. Jungwoo had to do a lot of convincing to make Lucas come out. Naturally, the boy was nervous. It was a dinner with the whole group of people that, as far as Lucas was concerned, hated his guts. The only people he was comfortable with was Jungwoo and Doyoung. 

Doyoung had met with Lucas after Jungwoo’s meeting with him. They met on their own terms, Jungwoo not included. They thought it would be best that way, considering the last time they had met was with Jungwoo included. Doyoung wanted to start fresh and hope to forget the resentment that he had against the boy. 

To Jungwoo’s pleasure, the two of them were able to come out of the first meeting alive. They even exchanged phone numbers. It was a few days later that Jungwoo found Doyoung playing his favorite game online with Lucas when he went over to his house. Needless to say, the two of them became friends rather fast. Sure it was awkward sometimes when the three of them hung out. Lucas was hesitant to even hold hands with Jungwoo around Doyoung. But soon enough, Lucas was clinging to Jungwoo as hard as Jungwoo used to cling to him. Surprisingly, Lucas even allowed Jungwoo to convert to his touchy ways with Doyoung as well. The three of them learned to trust each other.

Jaehyun was the only one in the restaurant when Jungwoo and Lucas walk over to the table. The elder smiled and greeted Lucas warmly, even going as far as to give him a hug. Jungwoo laughs, patting his cheeks when he smells the alcohol already on Jaehyun’s breath. 

Doyoung shortly followed and him and Lucas immediately went to talking about the new download on their game. Ten and Jisung came after. Naturally, Ten gave Lucas the ugliest face but after a few drinks, the two of them were playing rock, paper, scissors over who was going to drink a rather disgusting combination of alcohol. 

“Lucas?” 

The voice was Sicheng. He was standing by the table with wide eyes and parted lips. Jungwoo tilts his head, looking at his boyfriend with furrowed brows. The vampire stands up as well, fingers pressed against the ends of his eyebrows with a look of shock. 

“Sicheng. Oh my god.” 

The two of them walk over to each other, arms wrapping around one another. They hug for a long time, longer than anyone realizes. The four of them look at each other confused, unsure of what’s going on. Jungwoo parts his lips to say something before he hears the two of them talking. 

“You look so grown up,” Lucas laughs as he grabs Sicheng’s shoulders. “I mean because you are but, wow.” The vampire has resorted to his loud self but the words confuse Jungwoo even more. He had no idea that the two knew each other. All the times that Jungwoo had mentioned Sicheng’s name, Lucas had never said anything. 

“You look the same,” Sicheng says, sticking his tongue out. “Still as dorky as ever.” 

Lucas lets out a loud laugh before he drops his hands from Sicheng’s shoulders. He looks over at Jungwoo with a bright smile. “Sicheng used to be my best friend. We lived in the same neighborhood and went to the same school.”

Jungwoo realizes what’s going on now. Sicheng, he was one of Lucas’s friends from when he was little. It was before he was turned into a vampire. Sicheng was one of the friends that Lucas had to leave behind. One he had to forget. Jungwoo smiles as the two sit down next to each other, catching up on years worth of missing time together. 

Jaehyun isn’t as drunk as he normally is and he’s conducting games when Ten turns to look at Jungwoo once the two are considered out. “Jungwoo,” Ten says with a smile, hand resting against his cheek. “You look happy, you really do.” 

It’s because he was. Jungwoo was really, really happy. Things had improved over the last month. Things were almost back to normal at work. He thinks that some tension might be there for a while longer but it’s okay. Looking around the table, jungwoo feels happy. Lucas is chugging a bottle of soju, the boys cheering him on. Ten is back to yelling at Jisung and teasing him. Doyoung has his hand on Jungwoo’s back, rubbing it softly as he talks with Jaehyun about some kind of new treatment that the hospital is going to start using. Sicheng is texting away to his girlfriend as he usually does at the dinners. 

Lucas makes eye contact with him at one point and Jungwoo feels his heart skip a beat. It’s been almost four months since they’ve officially started dating but Jungwoo still feels like it’s their first time looking at each other. Butterflies still tickle his stomach when Lucas blows him a kiss. Jungwoo laugh as he hears Sicheng call him gross, only for Lucas to stick his tongue out at him. 

In an odd way, Jungwoo thinks that things were supposed to happen the way they did. Nothing was ever truly easy, especially love. Of course Jungwoo wishes he didn’t have to go through the pain that he did. He wishes he didn’t have to cause the pain that he did. Yet his friends were able to forgive him because that’s not the person Jungwoo is. 

Jungwoo never intended to fall in love with Lucas. He never intended to fall head over heels for a vampire at that. Jungwoo didn’t think that he could love again for a while. His heart was still broken when he met Lucas. It was broken during their first dates together. It was broken when both Lucas and Doyoung met for the first time. Looking around him now though, he feels his heart swell with happiness. 

Jungwoo never intended on falling in love. But he did. He fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then at all once. And maybe that’s how it was supposed to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> { ☺ }  
> { twitter @sparkling_uwu }


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